Edmond and Josephine aka Liason
by mandymld
Summary: This was for a challenge at HH, two different MOC's. For my GeJo fans they are in this one. For those up on their GH history, think the Jax/Alexis marriage back when GH was actually good.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

January 2006

(You Can't Base Your Life on Other Peoples Expectations)

Elizabeth had had enough of Lucky and went to find Emily who had just thankfully ended things with Sonny. "Wow, you look like crap."

"You don't look much better." she said with a sigh. "Let me guess, Lucky and how you two always promised to be each others everything?"

"Yeah, something along that theme." she replied as she looked at the other woman. "How are you doing?"

"I would be better if people would stop saying I told you so." she admitted. "I talked to that doctor, she said that I was looking for a way to escape dealing with my rape. That I became dependent on Sonny because he was Sonny. A man more screwed up than I was. She's right."

"When she told me the same thing regarding Lucky, I fought her on it. Said she had no idea what she was talking about. It took about six more sessions for me to face that she was right. I never thought any good would come from that mess last year where John Durant tried to accuse me of murder but your father making me talk to her, not letting me end the sessions early... it was good for me."

"Do you ever regret not marrying Lucky?" asked Emily softly, her mind going back to the wedding that wasn't. It had been difficult for her best friend to do what she had but in the middle of the wedding, she had called it off.

She had had to deal with her grams disappointment, with the Spencer family's ravings and most importantly she had been made to feel like crap by most of the town hypocrites who felt they had a right to offer an opinion when their own lives were screwed up.

Elizabeth had stood her ground, defended herself then after one very large, long and throat clearing argument with her grams had moved out of the Hardy family house and into a very nice two bedroom apartment that Emily and she had found.

Now Emily was across the hall, not wanting to move back into the Quartermaine house. There were some rather unfriendly visits, including one surprisingly from Courtney Matthews who in spite of being in the middle of a divorce from Jasper Jacks had threatened both Elizabeth and Emily warning them off of her soon be ex-husband.

That hysterical visit had caused the two women along with several members of the medical staff at GH to go out for the first GNO at Jake's and given Elizabeth a wonderful babysitting resource. Alice, the housekeeper at the Quartermaines had came over to stay with young Cam so that they could enjoy themselves. By the end of the evening, they had also gained Monica who had fallen for the beautiful little toddler.

"Why do I put myself through these things?" asked the third woman as she entered the locker room. Robin sat down across from the two women and said "Wow, you too look like as bad as me. Do we need another GNO?"

"No, I can't. I have exams tomorrow." said Emily. "I have to study."

"I just had a run-in with Lucky, so no, I don't want to go out someplace where he can follow me into." said the other. "Instead I am going to pick up a couple of movies, ones where I don't have to think, then make some popcorn, maybe by some Bunny Tracks ice cream and a frozen pizza then pig out after Jake is asleep."

"Can I join." said the blond whose sister said "Me too."

"What is up with you two?" asked their cousin.

"Well, let's see, Jesse is being a jerk." said a frowning Maxie, not wanting to tell the women the truth. Blaming her boyfriend was better than admitting that Lucky Spencer had been hitting on her every time they were around him.

"Dillon and I are having problems." said Georgie. "I have been avoiding him, I don't know what to do. I actually drive all the way out to Vista Point to study in peace. He is convinced my sociology professor is chasing after me."

"Pete?" asked Robin. "That's Patrick's old pal. Are you sure he isn't?"

"I don't care if he is, I am not interested. He is old." she said shrugging. "But lately Vista Point has been no use, some guy was there this week. Between his loud car, then the loud music, I just drove home."

"You are studying in your car?" asked Robin frowning. "You know, you could just study at home."

"No, because then Dillon calls all the time, or shows up. Plus Brooklyn is made at me for not talking to him all the time. I just feel claustrophobic." she said not adding that if her father were to find out about her other activities, let alone anyone else all hell would break loose.

"Well you are all welcome to come over, but remember, I only have two bedrooms. Announced Elizabeth. "Though, Emily is across the hall, she also has only two bedrooms."

"I can grab our sleeping bags." said Maxie. "Georgie, do you want me to bring anything else?"

"Elizabeth what type of movies are you looking for? Dillon's' idea of a gift for any holiday is movies, movies and more movies. I must have a ton." she offered.

"Comedies, but nothing new." she said. Maxie had an idea, while Georgie was a bit tired of Dillon's only choice in presents, thanks to him, they both were now addicted to a certain type of old black and white classic. Hopefully the other women would enjoy them too.

That began what soon was being called Tuesday Classic Movie night, unless there was a medical emergency. Things got better when two new doctors, Kelly Lee a gynecologist and Lainey Winters moved into one of the remaining apartments on their floor.

The remaining apartment belonged to someone they had never seen, only heard. Someone who played the piano at all hours of the day, at least it was never the night or he would have been lynched by the medical personnel.

Across town, Courtney was not happy that Jax wouldn't sign the divorce papers as she talked to Carly who was complaining about Sam being over at Sonny's with Jason. "I really, really hate that woman. I never thought I would dislike anyone more than Robin Scorpio or Elizabeth Webber, but her... yeah, I have had enough."

"Wait, you dislike her more than Elizabeth?" asked the pregnant blond. "I didn't think that was possible."

"It is. She had the nerve to roll her eyes when I showed up needing to talk to Sonny, like she had any choice in the matter. She thought she was going to stay while Sonny and I talked to Jason about Michael..." fumed Carly.

"Oh, well I guess we do owe her, after all it was her idea that saved Michael." said Courtney brightly. She felt sorry for Sam, after all it wasn't her fault that Sonny went back to Carly and she landed on Jason's doorstep. That was her brother's and the horrible life he lead.

"No, that is us being even and besides, if she hadn't been pushing Dr. Asher's agenda Jason wouldn't have had to take those drugs in the first place." snapped Carly as she walked out the door. "Oh, did you need something?"

"Jax won't sign our papers. I want to marry Nik." whined the blond.

"That makes sense, Courtney, after all Jax is the father of your kid." she pointed out before leaving.

At the Harborview Towers, Sam was standing at the window, looking out, annoyed. She had tried to complain about Carly's treatment of her to Jason, but he had just quietly pointed out that Carly was still upset over the past.

"She is trying to push me out of his life, I won't allow that." she fumed then went to the airport. Her brother was coming to town, she had pushed Jason to help her, needing to remind him that she was the victim that she had done all she had in the past for Danny.

Alexis looked on as Ric read to the girls, she had had doubts about her marriage, had worried about his true motives, but she could see he loved their daughters, that alone made her grateful for what she had.

Taking out the paperwork, her mind on who could possibly know the truth and why they would suddenly be sending her this information, Alexis went back to work, knowing that she would always have a gaping whole in her heart where her missing child should have been.

Lulu Spencer hung up the phone, then talked to the Headmaster. "My brother said that it was fine for me to come home. When can we arrange for me to leave?"

Thanking whoever was listening, the man turned to his assistant and said "Please arrange for Ms. Spencer to be on the first flight to the states. Then transportation home."

Icily glaring at the girl, the woman quickly made the arrangements then got a little revenge of her own for all the trouble the blond had caused. The girl had a flight to the states all right, she had one to Alaska. From there she arranged for the girl to take a overland bus to upstate New York, via Vancouver, then across the broad expanse that was the United States of America.

On February first Luke Spencer arrived at the Quartermaine residence, tossed down his travel bag and poured himself a bourbon. "Home sweet home."

"Too bad it's not your home." said the woman behind him. Turning to where Monica was standing, Luke started to talk only for her to announce. "Try the gatehouse, I believe that is where Tracy is living now."

With a look of dismay he said "You wouldn't toss a man and his pet out, now would you?"

Looking distastefully at Luke then curiously at the monkey, she said "Yes, now I would suggest heading down there or I will call Alice. Right now, she isn't too fond of your family especially your son or your niece."

"Whatever Carly did, surely you can't hold me responsible, I tried to get rid of her." he said. "As for my cowboy, what could he have possibly done to annoy all of you, he has been hanging around since he was a young scamp."

"Oh, that's right. You ran off before the news was announced. Elizabeth and he didn't get married and he has been whining and creating scenes all over town since. We are also a little upset with Nik, considering the mess Courtney and he caused, well you understand that you aren't welcome, don't you Luke?"

Leaving she went to get Alice but answered the door to find Ric Lansing standing there instead. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I am looking for Luke, Alexis heard he was in town from Nik." he answered.

"Try the gatehouse, I kicked his freeloading butt down there." she tossed out as she grabbed her coat.

Ric frowned but sure enough heard Luke at the door begging his wife to let him in. "Spencer, Alexis needs to speak to you, now."

Turning, he just dismissed the nut job and went back to knocking on the green wood door. "It's about Helena Cassadine."

"Well then, why didn't you say so." he said leaving his bag behind and asking as they drove over. "What do you think of my monkey?"

Ric looked at the filthy beast in his car, then when they arrived shouted ouch as the monkey bit him. Inside, Alexis told him to go and get it check out, then to take the girls since she didn't want them around the monkey while she talked to Luke.

The monkey got bored, then went outside. Seeing the truck driving by, the monkey was soon hitching a ride to town. When it arrived at Kelly's, it visited with the people while Mike called animal control who thought he was drunk and hung up after all why on earth would a monkey be in Port Charles?

Getting bored again, the monkey hitched a ride on the back of the delivery truck. Arriving at the Towers, he found a building to climb. Arriving at the penthouse floor, it ducked inside an open window as the couple inside argued. "Jason, you never take my side. You are supposed to support me, me, not Carly. After all I am the woman you are going to marry."

"Sam, Carly and I have been friends for years. If you can't accept that she is a part of my life..." he left the rest unsaid as Sam brought up that Carly hated her because of her late daughter.

Two hours of her weeping later, Jason escaped and hurried down the stairs. Beginning to get he had made a mistake by mistaking companionship and grief for a feeling of being loved, Jason was a bit annoyed to also find he really didn't want to hear Carly saying I told you so.

Grabbing a pool stick, he turned and stopped, shocked at what he saw. There was a monkey on the green felt of his table, eating whatever had been in the to-go boxes from Kelly's.

"Jason... did they ever bring our food? I don't know why you order from that terrible place. We can get food from the Metrocourt, it would... AAHHH WHAT IS THAT THING, WHY IS IT HERE. JASON, SAVE ME."

Watching as Sam ran around the penthouse screaming and acting like a fool, Jason counted to ten then turned to clear out the monkey but before he could it had swung out the window and when he arrived on the balcony he saw it was swinging down the building.

"Sam it's gone." he said then found himself yet again counting to ten as she threw herself into his arms sobbing. Thinking about asking Bernie to invest in Kleenex, Jason just accepted he wasn't going to get anything to eat as Sam went over and poured herself yet another glass of wine.

* * *

><p>At GH, Elizabeth called her grandmother, while things were still tense between them months after refusing to marry Lucky, Audrey still loved to spend time with her grandson, her granddaughter as well but Elizabeth refused to accept her apology, still hurt at the things they had tossed back and forth.<p>

"Elizabeth, I need you." said Alan. Then frowning a bit, looked around for a different nurse. Only seeing the head nurse who wouldn't fit in the suit, he said "I am sorry about this, but we have an unknown fever coming in."

Pulling on the containment suit, Elizabeth took a deep breath and followed him into the room where Luke Spencer could barely breath. "Alexis what happened?"

"I don't know, he was at my house, my children were there at first, Alan." she said nervously. "Then he collapsed, clearly sweating and was soon delirious."

"Where are you girls?" he asked.

Elizabeth answered. "They were with Ric, he was bit by a monkey, Said it belonged to Luke."

Within the next five hours, several other people presented with the same illness. It was soon a whose who of Port Charles as the CDC ordered a quarantine.

Elizabeth called her grams who gravely agreed to take Cameron and head to the family cabin. "Thank you, Grams. I know that in spite of everything going on, you will protect him."

"I love him, and you." she said quietly. "Promise me, you will take care of yourself, Elizabeth. I can't handle losing you too."

"Elizabeth, can you pick up on line one." said Epiphany Johnson as she hung up.

Listening to what Jason said after answering his questions about Cam and herself, she called out to her boss. "Sir, Jason is on the phone, you need to hear what was said."

Putting him on speakerphone, Alan said "What is it, Jason?"

"I was at the police station, Sam's brother had an incident, anyhow a woman called while I was there. She said that GH and the surrounding hospitals will be soon inundated with patients. That if you want the cure, it is going to cost." Jason took a deep breath then said "She said at least a million dollars."

"I hate to pay terrorists, but no one here recognizes this." he said then saw Lorenzo Alcazar standing nearby. "I am sure we can get that kind of money together."

"That's just it, she wants a million per dose. And refuses to talk to anyone again for at least three days. She said by then we will know how serious this is. Mac is on the phone to the WSB and Robert. Sam is on her way to GH, Danny has whatever this is."

"We think it came from a monkey that Spencer brought back from wherever he was." Alan told his son and Alcazar who went to make a call. "Jason, it's bad. We are already filled to capacity."

"I will see what I can kind out. Who are all the patients, maybe I can trace this back and find that damn monkey." he said.

"I will have Elizabeth give you the list." he said just as Sam came in screaming for help for Danny. When a doctor came over, she calmed down long enough to listen then started shouting again.

"Sam, enough, this is doing nothing to help." snapped Robin as she took a culture from the man. "Where you infected too?"

"I don't know, I doubt it." she snapped.

"Have you had contact with Luke Spencer or a monkey today?"

When the woman started shouting again, Robin walked away and gave Elizabeth a soft smile. "How are you doing?"

"I am holding up. Jason are you ready?"

Sam came over, her eyes narrowed at the tone of Elizabeth's voice but soon was distracted as she recited a bunch of names of people she didn't care about.

"Yes." he said just as Carly came up.

"Okay, Luke who came in contact down in Java. Alice Monica's maid. Tracy, a cab driver who drove Luke home. Ric who was bit, his daughter is sick but Kristina is fine, actually someone should tell Sonny but she can't leave GH. Alexis who drove Luke here."

Carly had heard what was going on and listened as well as the nurse went on. "Dillon, he had contact with Luke, not the monkey. Skye, same thing. Nik who had contact with Luke, Courtney who had contact with Nik. Maxie Jones and that one is serious because of her heart condition."

They could hear the seriousness of the situation as Elizabeth continued. "Jesse Beaudy, Scott Baldwin who had contact with Luke. Danny McCall, who I have no listing of how he contact this. Mike Corbin, who had contact with the monkey, the cook at Kelly's, the same way. Oh, will you let Milo know, Max was just admitted. Diego Alcazar but his is a very mind case."

Jason promised then heard her gasp. "Elizabeth, what is it?"

"Ah, Bobbie Spencer was just admitted, she only had contact with Ric, earlier. She was the nurse who patched him up." she said then told him the rest of the names.

Jason hung up, then his phone rang. "No, Sam stay there, your brother needs you. I will be fine. No, I don't need your help."

Hanging up annoyed because he knew she would try and break the quarantine and could possibly infect others, he looked at Carly who was announcing she would help him solve this problem.

Going to the warehouse, since it seemed to be the nearest place to the the monkey's last known location, he heard the gun shot and rushed in to see Sonny glaring at Milo and snapped. "I wasn't going to let you kill a helpless monkey"

Oh great, to add to his problems he had to deal with touchy feely Sonny, the man had had a session with is doctor that day and when that happened, it was like dealing with a complete stranger.

"Milo, where did the monkey go?" he asked explaining what was going on. The guard glared at his boss and rushed off to see what he could find out about his brother.

Going into the warehouse, Jason saw the monkey in the distance and knew what he had to do. Getting a tarp, he dropped it below the monkey and shot the stupid thing.

Hearing Carly talking he looked at Sonny who was holding his head to avoid listening to her shouting and then asked Carly to help him for a moment.

When she had gone into the small room, he shut the door and locked it, gathering up the tarp and rushing off to GH. Sonny meanwhile sat outside the locked door, smirking at his ex-wife shouting to be rescued.

Finding the right entrance to the tunnels, Jason called his father and asked him to meet. Seeing the package, Alan called Robin and had her meet him. "We have the infected monkey."

"I will still look for the anti-viruses." said Jason who when Robin had left asked his father how everyone was.

"Not good, Jason. We need a miracle and hopefully that monkey will save them."

"What what about the staff, you are all exposed." his mind going to Elizabeth and how she was the only real parent Cameron had. That he hadn't planed for this while making decisions that weren't really his to make alone.

"It's our job but we aren't taking risks, Jason." he said touched by his concern.

Hurrying back to his bike, Jason swore when he saw Sam standing next to it, grinning triumphantly. "See, I told you I would come and help you."

"Sam, all you are doing is exposing others to the virus." he snapped. Jason had just locked Carly in the storage closet, he didn't want to be bothered dealing with her right then, he had too much on his mind and she wasn't helping things.

Sam suddenly passed out into his arms. Calling 911 but knowing they would take him too if they saw him, Jason waited at a distance to make sure she was okay before leaving as an ambulance took her back to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Over the next few days, things got bad...<p>

Skye Chandler Alcazar who was pregnant almost died but was saved when the first of the antivirals was given to her. Danny McCall the other patient equally sick; didn't, Sam was holding his hand when he died, telling her he was glad his mom and dad had picked her out for him.

Sam stood in the door of the hospital room, screaming at the red head until Lorenzo dragged her out of there, then threatened to kill her if she didn't leave his wife alone.

"Your wife is why my brother died, I hope that brat she is carrying dies." she shrieked before Emily who was coming down, the corridor with Diego in a wheelchair had two of the orderlies take her back to her room. Seeing Lucas sticking his head out of his room, she could only grimace when he shook his head and walked away,

Assuring Lorenzo that Skye would be fine, she went to check on her adopted sister then on Dillon who was begging Georgie to marry him. When she refused, explaining she didn't think it was right, Tracy was supporting her while Brooklyn who was upset ended up a patient.

Two hours later, Brook was dead, Dillon was doing better naturally according to Robin and Tony Jones was now a patient. Jax who had gotten inside when he had heard about Courtney was on the phone with Carly, who was terrified about her best friend's condition.

Alexis and Ric both got better but Molly, Molly didn't make it in spite of being given the anti-virus. Several other patients had also died, while Alan and Robin dealt with the CDC who had been furious to find out that they had patient zero and hadn't informed them of the fact.

"If we had waited on you, we would be waiting on a cure. We know the antibodies work." Alan snapped. Walking back inside, he had yet another run in with Sam who was now wandering around delirious.

When she demanded Jason, he told her that Jason and Carly were working together to get the shots to cure everyone. The short woman just stomped her feet and created another scene as she vowed to make Carly pay for keeping Jason away from her in her time of need.

Jason meanwhile was irate when Carly showed up at the stakeout where the woman was to be dropping off a sample of the cure. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I called Alan, told him we got separated and that I had the money." she said proud of herself.

"If anyone dies because you can't keep yourself out of my business, Carly." he said glaring at her his mind on his family in the middle of the mess at the hospital.

"I have already told Sam, now I am going to tell you. I don't need you to back me up. Sonny and I have several highly trained men whose job that is and all that the two of you do is create more problems."

Shocked and hurt, Carly stormed away, swearing he would have to give her a huge, an absolutely huge apology before she would ever forgive him for comparing her to Sam.

AT GH, she pretended to be sick to get inside. Seeing Elizabeth Webber with a clip board and ordering a bunch of people around, she looked for the nearest nurse and asked to be told where Courtney Matthews was.

"Don't know, and I am sorry but I am too busy to find out. See Nurse Webber she is the one wearing the purple scrubs, Dr. Quartermaine put her in charge when Nurse Johnson went down with the virus." she said hurrying away.

Carly was trying to push her way to the front when she heard Elizabeth snapping out orders and telling the staff who and where to give the shots out. "Carly, are you here to see your mom or Courtney?"

"Mom, how is she?" she asked.

"Doing better, but Tony Jones died a few minutes ago. She is a bit of a wreck Lucas is better, but we have lost several people. Uh, Courtney, Courtney is refusing the shot because it would harm the baby."

"What?" asked Carly shocked. "Is she going to be okay?"

Elizabeth looked down then at Carly "Not if she doesn't get the shot. I get it, as a mother I understand, but right now, you should be with her... she need a friend and Nik and Jax sniping at one another is doing no one any good."

"Thanks, Elizabeth." she said walking away as she heard the nurse return to giving out room numbers to various people.

Jason found the woman with the cure, turning her over to a disgusted Mac Scorpio who soon had help on the line. "Robert, she says they are holding her son, that she was a pawn."

Going to help Holly, Robert and Anna went to Java with Holly while Mac and Jason rushed to GH. When the CDC insisted that first they needed to test the drugs, Jason gave them a dummy case, that Mac had no idea about then went back to the tunnels.

Inside, he located his father who told him to find Elizabeth. "She has an up to the minute list of who is next in line. Tell her I will send all the staff to her so that we can get these administered. And Jason, thank you."

Nodding at his father, going to find the one who had got away so long ago, he was standing back observing as Elizabeth soon had staff taking shot to those who needed it.

* * *

><p>An hour later, there was a semblance of silence as the brunette sank into a chair and put her head back to take a breath. "Elizabeth..."<p>

Looking up and seeing Carly, she sighed then stood. "No, look, we are never going to be friends... but I saw you earlier and then just now... thank you... for what you did today. For making sure that a waiting shot was available for Courtney like you did."

"I was just doing my job Carly, but thanks. Now I just want to see if it is okay for me to go see my son." she said looking around then seeing how the blond looked asked "How is Courtney?"

"She made it, her son didn't." she said her head down as she walked to the other room. Alone Carly sat down and cried, her mind on all Courtney had revealed while delirious. Turns out her friend wasn't so much her friend and she found herself feeling for both Jasper Jacks and Nik at what had happened that evening.

Jason who was still in the waiting room, heard his name being shouted and turned as Emily threw herself into his arms. "Thank you, Jason."

Hugging her, he could only say "I wish I could have got here sooner."

"You, you should know. Sam's brother didn't make it." Jason felt sad, poor Danny had never had a real shot at a life, now what little he had had been taken away. "Sam is out of it, she was infected."

"I know, I heard from Alan." he said "I will be back later, right now I need a shower and a ride."

On his way out the door, he saw Elizabeth leaving and greeted her. When he saw her stop at a older model car, he frowned not believing that this was hers.

"What's wrong? Oh, I know but someone will come along and move it. The press should leave now that they know..." Elizabeth leaned against her car as her cell phone rang. "Grams, how is Cam?... Oh, I missed him too... I should be there soon."

"How about I give you a lift." he said.

"No, thank you anyhow, but they are at the cabin, its out past Vista Point." she explained.

"No problem, I need to clear my head." he said leading her to his suburban.

When she had fallen asleep, he thought about it and knew that the Hardy cabin had to be out near the Quartermaine one and soon found the car he knew belonged to Audrey Hardy.

Pulling in behind the woman's late model Cadillac, he knocked and said "Elizabeth fell asleep, may I carry her in."

Thanking Jason, grateful he didn't stick around, Audrey looked at the dark circles under her eyes and knew Elizabeth' had probably had nothing but cat naps since the virus had begun three days earlier, Audrey distracted Cam, letting her sleep.

* * *

><p>The dust settled from the medical disaster...<p>

Elizabeth had come to an understanding as Audrey for the first time truly appreciated what her granddaughter was doing. "I will always wish you happily married but I promise, from now on, I will let you live your own life."

Calling Steven, she was told he was proud of her and wished he was back home already. "I thought you had two more years in Memphis."

"I do, but after that, I want to come home." replied her brother as he went to deal with his latest non exciting medical case.

Patrick Drake was finding he liked Port Charles as he went on a date with another beautiful nurse and returned to spare with Doctor Robin Scorpio and help Nurse Elizabeth Webber get her surgical certificate. He was finding friends and a home in this small town by the lake.

The Quartermaine family mourned Brooklynn, dealt with Dillon who blamed himself for her getting sick and were grudgingly polite to Luke after all it was his antibodies that saved Skye.

Tracy was her usual miserable self and then things got worse when she was told by Alice that her stepdaughter had come to stay...

Luke was thrilled to have Lulu home, Lucky was believing that this latest brush with death would make Elizabeth realize they were meant to be together while at the same time hitting on his late partner's distraught girl friend.

Lulu however had seen the chasm between her new stepbrother Dillon and one of her old playmates Georgie, deciding she wanted her stepbrother, she did her best to cause it to widen.

Bobbie and Lucas were dealing with the loss of his father and her ex-husband while Carly found herself spending a lot of time with Jasper Jacks who was mourning that the child he had believed to be his hadn't been. She hadn't been able to believe that Courtney when the blond had thanked her for keeping the angry man out of her hair.

The Scorpio/Jones house was a quiet one, Mac was busy tracking down a hired gun for the Ruiz family who was in town for some reason, even if nothing had happened that he was aware of.

Robin was dealing with her growing feelings for the playboy surgeon and Maxie was in pain at the death of Jesse. Add to that the way Lucky Spencer seemed to always be around and she was not sure which way was up.

Georgie on the other hand was avoiding the house, needing time away from dealing with all the death and tragedy as she finished her very secret project. Her closest friend had died and they had been fighting with one another. Her boyfriend and she were arguing because she resented the way he was spending so much time with Lulu. But at the center of it all had been a thought, a very small gem of an idea that she knew would work perfectly for her latest 'project."

Finally deciding she had to end it with Dillon, that it wasn't fair for him to be left in the dark, she was on her way over to see him when she overheard Lulu making a deal with Diego Alcazar, yet another person who had almost died of the virus.

Deciding there was no way in hell she was going to let things happen the way the two co-conspirators wanted, she completely forgot she didn't love Dillon anymore.

Nik was reeling, Courtney had switched the test results, thinking that Jax was going to turn out to be the father, only to be caught in her own lies when Nik was. She had kept quiet on her switch until she lay delirious, she had confessed to what she had done.

So, now he was living with a woman he wasn't sure what he felt for her, he had another woman he was still in love with, but thanks to past mistakes, Emily would never forgive him. Then there was his grandmother who kept calling, sending notes that had him confused.

Alexis was reeling at what the nuns had told her. "Are you certain on that name?"

"Yes, I am. Samantha McCall." said the woman wearing the habit. Going home to where Ric was talking to Kristina, she could only put a smile on her face as she mourned the hole that her dead daughter had left in her heart.

Carly walked out of Sonny's house with her boys, as she dealt with avoiding Courtney. Hurrying home, she hastily arranged the small party she had promised the boys with their friend so she wouldn't look like a complete liar to her friend and former sister-in-law.

Sonny was left with a confused Courtney who was telling her brother about the mean old lady who had come to Wyndemere and had insulted her. "Courtney, what do you want me to do about it?"

Her jaw dropping at the tough tone, she stormed out and returned to the docks where she saw Sam talking to someone on the phone. "Well thank you. I guess I will see him later."

"Sam, is everything okay?" she asked.

"No, I mean yes. It's just I have barely seen Jason since I got out of the hospital the other day. When I was a patient, he never came to visit and I overheard a nurse say he left GH with another woman the day we were let go."

"Don't worry, Jason loves you. Cheating isn't his style. Maybe he was with Carly." she offered.

"No, I know it wasn't Carly, she was there with you." she said pouting a bit. "I just, I feel like I am losing him. Like something is wrong."

"Well, I would say to watch Elizabeth Webber but I overheard Nik and Lucky talking and they are back together." she said with a shrug. "Otherwise, I am sure you are just overreacting."

"Oh, okay." said Sam not really listening to a word the blond said. Courtney hadn't been able to hold onto Jason, she had clearly bored him and from what she had heard the guards discussing, Courtney had been a rebound after Jason had lost Carly.

That he had lost the woman he had love, that it was why Courtney gotten her claws into him like she had, then they had discussed his lost love's son, not that Sam could figure out what they meant about his being cute, she truly didn't find that little shit Michael cute.

Returning to the penthouse, to see a guard in the hallway, she entered it to see Alexis Davis waiting. "Jason isn't here."

"I know, I wanted to talk to you." she said twisting her hands nervously.

"There is nothing for you to say to me." snapped Sam. "I lost my daughter and you are a reminder everyday of that. Now get out, I can't stand to see you."

"Sam!" snapped Jason as he entered tossing the keys on the desk, he turned to Alexis and asked if there was something he could do for her.

"No. I uh, I had better go." she said scurrying away, deciding there was no way she was going to claim that woman as her daughter.

"Since when are you so nice to THAT WOMAN." snapped Sam, "I don't want her in my home, I hate her."

"Sam, I have been doing a lot of thinking." he said with a heavy sigh. "Look, sit down, please."

The phone rang and Jason just turned it off before saying. "Sam, the last few years we have been together, well in truth..., in truth. I think it is time for us to end."

"What?" she asked shocked. "Jason, why are you doing this, is this because of what I said to Alexis?"

"No, at least not all of it. Sam, When you said this was your home, all I could think was no, it isn't." he admitted. "It is my home, you are a guest here. We have been growing a part for a while, you don't get that you can't help me with my job. I think it is better we end things now, while we are still friends."

"But Jason, I love you, you are my life." she said shell shocked.

"Sam, I don't want to be your life. You need to find a life of your own. I am going to arrange a place for you to live. I will be remodeling so if there is anything of the furniture aside from Brenda's room you want, go ahead and take it."

"I don't want your charity, I want you, I want our perfect life." she said crying.

"Sam, our life isn't perfect, far from it. Other than work, or what to eat, we really have nothing to talk about."

"We have sex." she said insistently.

"Sam, look, sex is fine for a while, but in the long run, a man wants a wife he came come home to to forget about his day, someone who smells nice, who talks about her day, her life... he wants someone who isn't completely wrapped up in him. Where sex is making love, not dealing with bodily functions."

"No, no your wrong." she said the tears flowing. "Please, Jason, don't leave me."

"Sam, I am sorry but you need to accept that we are over." he said standing. "I uh, will talk to Bernie, he will arrange some money for you to start a new life, here if that is what you want or if you want to leave... I would understand."

"No, I am staying. Someday, Jason, someday you will remember that you love me, I will prove to you that this is a mistake, that you are making a mistake." she said as she went upstairs to throw herself on their bed.

Jason was about to leave when he recalled the phone message. Checking it he frowned and went to find out why Javier Ruiz was in town and wanting a meet with Alcazar and them.

Sam meanwhile was plotting as she came back down after Jason left. Packing up her bags, she went to the Metrocourt, then made a few calls. Finding out what she needed, she vowed to be the perfect wife for Jason when he came back for her.

First up was cooking lessons...

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(My Idea of Superwoman Is One Who Scrubs Her Own Floors.)

The next couple of months flew quickly as Jason dealt with the Ruiz family. They were in town for a meeting under a white flag when someone had fired and killed Javier bringing the force of the entire family on both organizations.

Sonny had lost several men, strangely enough Ric had himself saved Sonny's life in one incident that had caused Lucky Spencer to get shot in the back. He had spent a month in the hospital, and was now resting at his aunt's Brownstone after a huge fight with Elizabeth Webber that had created a scene.

He had seen her leaving with Patrick Drake, unaware they were meeting Robin Scorpio who was helping with Elizabeth's studying. Lucky had accused Elizabeth of being involved with the playboy, then had demanded she stop cheating on him.

When the nurse had pointed out they were not dating, he had said yes they were, he was just letting her have some time off since she was clearly confused. That alone had annoyed Elizabeth but his going around telling doctors and nurses he wouldn't need any home health care since Elizabeth would be taking care of him when he moved in with her, had been the last straw.

She had waited until he had pissed her off yet again, then had at the right moment walked over to the blond coming off the elevator and kissed the man. Jax had been stunned but not resisting a chance to mess with that prick Spencer, he leaned her backwards and returned the kiss.

There was some whooping from Robin and Emily while an angry Lucky stormed off. "Good riddance."

"You know, I am feeling used." said the amused blond as he returned her to the upright position laughing hysterically. "Now, that you have had your way with me, Nurse Webber could you please direct me to where I can find your boss."

"If you are planning on reporting my nurse for sexual harassment..." Epiphany asked glaring at Elizabeth and the others.

"No, no, nothing like that, but Elizabeth, I do have to ask, what did Spencer do to piss you off that badly." he said with a smirk. "No, Dr. Quartermaine called me, asked me here for a meeting."

"Oh." Elizabeth felt bad, she had a feeling she knew what the meeting was about and directed him to the conference hall where Nik was already and where the tall blond woman was glaring at him and asking in a wounded tone. "How could you, when we are here to discuss my late son."

"Get over it, Courtney. Jax and Elizabeth are free to kiss whomever they want." snapped Nik.

When Alan came in with Kelly Lee, he said "Let's all be seated."

"Okay, Nik, your grandmother did have something to do with the tests. We reran them, here and at another location. The baby that died, he was Jasper Jacks son. Not yours."

"Well at least we now know what my grandmother as hinting at." said Nik who stood then said "Courtney, I have to head to Greece, find out what she is up to."

"But-" she got no where as he left quickly, wanting to be away from the whole mess. Seeing Emily he was about to speak to her when he saw her talking to a man who was asking her to lunch. Knowing their time had passed, he just continued on, regretting once again his mistakes.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile another man was regretting his mistakes. Lorenzo Alcazar had shipped his wife out of town to protect her from the violence but within days he had received pictures of Skye heavily pregnant with their child.<p>

Wishing he dare trust Morgan or Corinthos, all he could do was hope and pray his plans worked out as he lived with the fear that his new family would die. He had been certain it was Corinthos who had taken out Javier, only for his inside man to inform him, that no, it hadn't been the Cuban.

Sonny was dealing with the mess, when Jason got the call. Sighing the blond hung up and said "Continue."

"Is everything okay?" asked Sonny.

"Yes, it was just more nonsense involving Sam." he replied with a sigh.

Seeing Ric Lansing entering, he frowned, knowing that Sonny was grateful that his brother had saved his life but he wasn't so sure that the other man didn't have a different motive.

When Morgan had left, Ric discussed Kristina and left, he was talking to his brother, mainly for his daughter's sake. Alexis could barely function at times, the littlest thing setting her off since Molly's death. He felt pushed away and would have left the uptight woman expect for the little girl who now owned his heart.

* * *

><p>AT GH, Elizabeth was working the ER when she heard the call. Calling up, she let Dr. Quartermaine know. "Sir, a cooking class, we are expecting at least eight victims. The fireman said someone threw oil onto a burner thinking it was water."<p>

Shaking his head at the sheer stupidity of some people, he hurried down. Getting the burn victims taken care of, he was glad to see that most were only superficial expect for the teacher who was threatening to sue a student.

"But I didn't know..." whined the woman.

"Ms. McCall, surely you aren't that stupid." sneered the man. "Truly, how on earth have you managed to live this long. Either way, you are done and I will be warning the other cooking classes. I should have listened to Adolph, he warned me, but I thought, no one, but no one could be that bad."

The dark haired woman was checked out, told to keep her burn covered for a few days, then released. Seeing Elizabeth talking to her friends, she saw Jason approaching and was beaming until he stopped to talk to the trio.

Frowning a bit, then moving closer, she was glad to hear him talking to Emily, the other women were too busy teasing Elizabeth about the romantic kiss downstairs.

Thinking on Lucky Spencer, Sam had to say she didn't think he had that in him, before walking off, annoyed that she was letting something Courtney Matthews said get to her.

* * *

><p>Carly was putting together her party, planning on hosting it on May 1st when she heard her name being called, turning she saw Jasper Jacks and found herself listening to what he had to say. "I am sorry Jax, is there anything I can do?"<p>

"Explain why she would do this?" he asked bleakly. First it was Helena, then Courtney, thanks to those two women, his son had been buried with the wrong name.

The Ruiz brothers were getting the feeling they were set up to take the fall when nothing turned out to show that neither Port Charles organization were involved in Javier's death.

They truly didn't like to be made a fool of and were looking for who had set them up when they saw the idiot cop talking to a dealer. "Wait, we need information, right?"

"Yeah." said the other brother.

"That is our in. Right there. Detective Lucky Spencer." he replied as they followed the blond man who entered an apartment building and left twenty minutes later escorted from the building by two of his fellow officers and warned off.

"My oh my, we need to know who he is visiting." said the Spaniard.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth was finding time to work with her grandmother as the elderly woman announced her plans to retire. GH was going to have a party celebrating her time with the hospital and at the same time Audrey was going through attics, garages and spare rooms before deciding what she was going to take to Arizona with her.<p>

Jason meanwhile was a bit lonely living alone and found himself spending time with his sister who sometimes had Elizabeth's son when she was working night shifts.

Watching Jason with Cam was giving Emily ideas, she knew that between bad timing, selfish friends and family and their own insecurities Jason and Elizabeth had lost a chance to be together years ago, now, looking back, Emily had regrets...

She had decided that the best thing for Jason, for Elizabeth was that the two of them finally explored the feelings they had once had and maybe find the happiness they had spent too long looking for in other people.

If only she knew the torture she was putting her brother through to be so close to his dreams yet so far away...

* * *

><p>Sam meanwhile had crossed cooking lessons off her list, she had tried to register for a class in Interior design but had been told she needed a high school degree, same thing with her other attempts to improve herself.<p>

Then a chance run in with Dr. Alan Quartermaine had her making plans to get a job, with ELQ, to show Jason she could be a bridge between him and his family.

Getting to the interview, she was upset when the woman condescendingly said she had to have at least a high school diploma for the job of runner but that if she was serious about wanting work, they were hiring for the nighttime cleaning crew.

Leaving, Sam went to find out what she needed to do to get her GED. Taking the test, she was told where she had to improve and was given the course work.

AT home, in her new apartment, she sat there not understanding half the words, she was about to give up when she stopped into Kelly's and overheard Georgie Jones talking to her sister about Lulu Spencer.

"Anyhow, I agreed to give her my dictionary, it's not like I really need it." said the other girl. "And how the dictionary is going to help her, who knows, I mean I at least would expect her to know what words mean and their spelling without a book."

"Excuse me." Sam said looking excitedly at Georgie. "What are you talking about. What sort of book gives you what words mean and how they were spelt?"

"Your kidding right?" she asked skeptically, thinking Sam was joking. Seeing the other woman's serious face, Georgie said. "One minute."

Taking her dictionary out of her backpack she handed it to Sam who opened it up, then asked "Can I buy this from you?"

"Sam, I promised to give it to Lulu, but you can get them at any bookstore, even that dollar store down on Courtland Street would have one." she stated.

When the other woman thanked her, with a huge smile, Georgie went back to her sister, their eyes met then Maxie started giggling. "Maxie..."

"No, you have to admit..." With that the blond started laughing, causing her sister to ruefully join her.

At the end of her shift, Georgie groaned when she saw the snow, she had to head out to pick up supplies for her car. Mac had been angry to find out she had forgotten to put oil in her car and had told her she had to pick it up so he could put it in. Then had given her a fifteen minute lecture on car maintenance.

Seeing a familiar looking hot rod, she hurried in and grabbed her oil. Standing in the long line, she looked around, then almost dropped the quarts.

"Here." said the man in front of her. Taking them, he stacked them to the side of the current customer. "What kind of car do you have?"

"An '04 Jeep Liberty."

"Then you really don't need that much oil, trust me." he said with a smile.

"My dad told me to get a couple of extra so that next time he can fill it without having to remind me. I forgot he told me I was a low a month ago."

"Not good." said the man taking a mental step back. He had thought she was a little young and from the sounds of it, he was right.

"I know, I know, but I have been busy. Between work, school, writing, candy striping then there is keeping my boyfriend's step sister out of his bed... I am too busy." When she flushed, then said "I uh... I shouldn't have told you that."

"Hey, it's not like I will tell anyone." he said. "Though, if he is going to fall so easily, why are you still worried. Let him go, any man that cheats with his stepsister, uh, he isn't that great to begin with."

"I know, but for his sake and for the sake of his family... I have to stop it from happening, you don't know Lulu." she said with a sigh. "I wish it wasn't on me, but when Brook died, I wasn't there for him... so, I have to protect him, protect Lulu even because it is all a disaster waiting to happen."

"Next!" called out the clerk. Stepping aside, the man said "Go ahead, clearly you have a lot on your plate."

When the girl had left, John saw the guards entering and paid for his parts. "I told you, I wasn't running. I needed some things."

"Your father told you we were to go for you." said the bigger man.

"Too bad, but I wouldn't trust you to pick up my dry cleaning let along the car parts for this baby." said John patting the hood of his 'Cudda. "Now, tell Trevor to get his lace panties out of the twist he has them knotted in and stay out of my way."

* * *

><p>Sam spent most of the next couple of weeks reading the dictionary and her course books in preparation to astounding Jason with her smarts at Carly's party. Courtney meanwhile hadn't heart a word from Nik and was beginning to get worried, it had been a couple of weeks, and nothing, noda zilch.<p>

Business went on, the Ruiz family finding out that the woman Spencer was stalking was Elizabeth Webber his ex-fiance and they soon had him suspended from work.

They saw him with the other woman, exchanging time in bed for pills, they dismissed using the man, clearly he was a loose cannon but Manny didn't like the way he disrespected the lovely Elizabeth so they watched and waited.

Every time Lucky showed up to annoy the woman, no matter where it was, Manny called the police, Mac finally had had enough and requested Elizabeth get a restraining order which she did. "I can't help it, who is letting the police know, I haven't called them."

"Maybe Jason assigned you a guard or something?" asked Emily. Asking her brother about the bald man with the tattoos she had seen around recently, she saw him turn white then high tail it out of her apartment.

"We need to talk, why are you following Elizabeth Webber?" he asked Manny when he caught up with the Spaniard.

"Ah, the beautiful signorina. I just don't like it when men push themselves on women who aren't interest." said one of the more dangerous men on the East coast. "The signorina is an innocent, a Madonna, one we protect, si?"

Jason didn't like the way the other man was speaking and moved in. "Elizabeth Webber, her family and her friends are under the Corinthos family's protection. Don't mess with us."

"If she is so protected, how has Mr. Spencer and the others been allowed to speak to her as they have." asked the painted man. When Jason had no answer, Manny announced.

"I know your history with the lovely woman, I know that you let her down, cheated on her when she was living with you with the bosses sister, your own brother's wife. You are not a man of true honor, Mr. Morgan. So don't speak to me about protecting the lovely Ms. Webber or the Ruiz family will put her under our protection and you, as a person who has hurt her dreadfully, who is allowing Ric Lansing to walk around alive after hurting her, after his hurting your partner's wife... you will suffer the consequences."

Jason flushed, well aware that Ric Lansing being alive had cost Sonny, had cost him honor among the family in spite of what his partner thought.

"Ah, I see your failures are known to you." said the other man. "I wonder, Mr. Morgan... while a man such as myself am unfit for someone as lovely and fresh as she is, why a man like yourself who could walk away wouldn't for a woman such as she?"

Jason walked away, feeling like he had lost something by backing away from the other man. Arriving at his penthouse, tossing down his keys, he walked to the window, stood there and faced his demons.

Closing his eyes, trying to stop the memories, Jason just reminded himself that what he had lost in honor, in not having her love he had gained in knowing she was happy, in knowing she was living a good life, with good friends and that she was respected, liked by all. None of which would have happened if she had been tainted by his life more than she was.

Thinking on all he had given up, Jason went upstairs, to the safe only he knew about, opened it, read through what ripped his heart, closed it away and walked away, knowing that he had made the right choice for them, for his family.

* * *

><p>The night of the gala, Carly was greeting guests standing next to Jax who was tense because Courtney had shown up, claiming since they were married when he opened the hotel she should be his hostess.<p>

When she heard Courtney tear into Jax about kissing Elizabeth, she took the blond off. "What are you talking about?"

Getting the story, Carly said "You need to stop that, Jax is not interested in Elizabeth that way. Momma told me the whole thing was to get Lucky off her back. That is all."

"But-" Courtney shut up and went back to the other room. Seeing Lucky she made a beeline to the other man who pouted and told her that Carly was telling the truth. Seeing him grimacing, she asked what was wrong.

"I forgot my pain meds and my back is killing me. I only came because it was a chance to see Elizabeth." he lied. He had come here looking for the nurse who had felt sorry for him, but she wasn't here and he was out of his pain pills and needed more.

Courtney looked at Nik's brother then wanting to help said "I can get you something. There is a doctor who spends a lot of time here. Be right back."

Returning, the blond said "It's Oxy, so don't take as many as you usually do."

Nodding, he ignored her warning, his back was truly killing him. Within moments of popping the pill his pain went away. Thanking Courtney, he went to wait for Elizabeth to arrive so they could speak.

Robin and the four women entered, all trying to keep poor Maxie from being upset. It was her first time out since the death of Jesse. "Elizabeth, Lucky at three o'clock."

"Thanks for the warning." she said ducking out while Emily and Georgie moved in to cover her empty spot. Seeing Patrick, Elizabeth threaded her arm through his and said "So Casanova, want to be my date?"

"Need a Spencer repellant huh?" he asked with an amused grin.

Laughing as they avoided Lucky and joined the party, Elizabeth frowned when she saw Lulu glaring at Georgie who was greeting Dillon. Wondering what was up with that, she thanked Patrick and went to talk to her grams.

"My dear, you look lovely." she announced before talking to Edward who also told Elizabeth her grandmother was right, she was quite lovely in that dress.

Carly was pouting then figured out that Jason would want to avoid Courtney. Looking out on the terrace she was happy to see her best friend who she hadn't seen in a while. "Jason, I am so glad you came."

The man across the street, holding the rifle with the sniper scope looked through at the blond then at his picture. No, she wasn't the woman he was looking for.

When the blond went back inside taking the man with her, the sniper breathed a sigh of relief.

Jason was at the bar looking around, he saw Elizabeth talking to Robin and his sister, the three of them laughing and the way that Maxie Jones glared at them, he found himself smiling when he saw what had them so amused.

Someone who was wearing a tuxedo, a power blue tuxedo with a ruffled shirt was on his knees in front of her. When Maxie stood, then walked off with the kid, he could only wince on the kid's behalf because it was clear Maxie wasn't amused.

When he saw Elizabeth stand, then walk to the hallway, he swiftly followed. "Elizabeth, do you have a moment?"

"Sure, what is it?" she asked when they were off to the side.

"I hate to worry you, but there is a man keeping an eye on you. I don't think he is a threat to you, but..." Jason trailed off, he had debated telling her, he had checked into the Ruiz family, they were famous for their overly protective concern for women.

He knew Manny wouldn't be a worry for Elizabeth, but he knew he had to warn her. "Jason, what is going on?"

"When Lucky was bothering you, someone saw him and considered him a threat to you. He uh, he made it clear that he doesn't consider your protection from our family to be enough. He uh, he went to the Five families about it."

"Wait, what?" she asked. "Why would he care, why would they care and since when am I under your protection."

"Elizabeth..." taking a deep breath, he said "You, you have been since the winter I was shot. They recently had a meeting, told us they were not happy with our way of protecting you. Uh, the Ruiz family has uh, there is no way to say this other than to just tell you. They have claimed the right to protect you, and a few others we had claimed under our protection."

"Jason, okay, how do I stop this?" she asked.

"There is no stopping it." he said then added shamefaced. "He called me on not protecting you, and he is right. I know better, he called me on my lapses. Not only for you. There are a few others we have claimed to protect who we haven't done right by."

"Jason, I don't want your protection, any more than I want this mystery family's." she said annoyed. Walking away, she turned and said "Jason, I don't get it, we haven't really been friends in years, why would they do this, why would you not let that supposed protection go."

Wincing when she stalked away, Jason returned to watching Sonny talking to Alexis who looked a bit peaked, then he saw Ric who wasn't happy as someone he couldn't see was talking to the attorney.

When he saw the other man with the salt and pepper hair leave, Jason was about to follow, curious as to why Ric looked so sick after talking to the man. Instead he felt a small hand on his arm. "Sam, what do you want?"

"Can we speak Jason, please?" she asked pleadingly.

On the terrace, Jason sighed then looked at Sam. For the last few weeks, she had left him alone, he had been convinced that she had finally gotten he wasn't taking her back. "What is it Sam?"

"I uh, I just wanted to speak to you. I miss talking to you, to my friend." Her words were echoing but his mind was responding to Elizabeth's questions. Looking at her, he felt a sense of sorrow.

Elizabeth, who he had walked away from, her son who he had walked away from, the idea had been to keep her safe. As he tried to pay attention to Sam, all he wanted to do was go track down Elizabeth, beg her for forgiveness but his lies, his big huge, unforgivable lie was still there, between them.

"Jason, please can we try again."

"Sam, no, I am sorry. I would be letting you come back because I was lonely not because I want you more than any other person on earth." he said.

"Jason... is there... is there someone else in your life, someone who has taken my place?" she asked the tears flowing.

"No, look Sam... it's not like that. I need you to accept that we aren't meant to be together. Find someone who will love you." he said then went to return to the party.

Hearing the gunshot, he turned just as Sam fell into his arms. Calling for help, Jason heard someone coming in. "Emily, get someone to help Sam. She was shot."

The police rushed in, Lucky angry to be reminded that that he was on suspension. Mac looked at Lucky, the man's eyes were slightly glazed. Reminding himself to keep an eye on the officer, he asked Morgan what had happened.

"I don't know, Mac. Sam was standing at the bannister, I was leaving when they fired." he replied.

"Were they firing at Sam or at you?" he asked furious that yet another innocent person might have been shot.

"I don't know." he replied. There was the sound of footsteps as the medics and his father were leading the gurney out.

"Mac, you need to see this." said Detective Cruz as he came in. Showing his boss the photo, he said "It looks like she was the intended victim, but the name, it's not Sam McCall, do you think that it was an accident."

Jason felt a sense of responsibility, Sam wouldn't have been on the terrace, she wouldn't have been shot at if she hadn't been speaking to him.

"Morgan, stay out of this." warned Mac as he turned to Alexis who was white. "Are you okay?"

"Sam, how is she?" she asked the guilt at not claiming her daughter weighing on her at the idea of Sam dying.

"It didn't look good, but for once they weren't after Morgan. They found the sniper's nest. They were after Sam." he said showing her the picture.

Alexis drove to GH, listened as Alan told Jason that he was Sam's only chance. "We are over, I am sure there is someone else."

"No, no there isn't." he said then gave Jason the paperwork. Signing, he handed it back to his father. Leaving, wanting to know what had happened and why.

"Morgan, we need to talk." said Manny from the sidewalk. "You need to let this one go. That is all I can tell you."

"Someone took a shot at a woman I was involved with, one still under my protection." he said harshly. "I owe her, for all she has done for me, I walked away from her."

"Fine, that is your business, but you might want to know, that if you pursue this, there will be consequences. Are you sure you want to expose your family for a punta like Ms. McCall."

Jason walked away, ignoring the man who called out. "I know your secrets, your deepest darkest secrets, Morgan."

Shivering at the taunt, Jason thought to himself no, no your don't. No one knew his deepest secret. He was the only person in the world who knew.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Alexis after yet another screaming match with Sam was glad she hadn't told the woman there was a chance she was her daughter. This woman had no class, no brains and all she wanted out of life was to spend it sitting on Jason's Morgan's sofa eating Chinese food.<p>

She had no goals in life except to by the wife of a man who had made it very clear that all he had to offer was friendship, that he had made a mistake getting involved with her.

Georgie was back at Vista Point, the end of semester was approaching and she needed peace and quiet. She also had a deadline approaching and she was feeling incapable of getting her project done in time. "How did I know..."

Looking up, she said "I know you, don't I?"

"The Autozone Store." he said slightly amused at her frown. "So how goes the protecting of the boyfriend from the stepsister?"

Frowning, she said "None of your business."

"That doesn't sound good." he said. "What happened?"

"Lulu is slowly drawing him away, I am trying to help but at the same time, I have bigger things to worry about." she replied. "What are you doing up here?"

"Escaping from my family." he said honestly. "I had better head home, you need to be careful, Okay?"

Georgie dismissed the handsome man from her mind, returning to studying. Arriving home, she heard her father talking to Robin about Sam McCall.

"She will be fine, except losing the ability to have to have children." she replied. "I still can't believe Alexis offered to help her. She said she felt bad for Sam, I still think that she knows something more."

"Sam wasn't too happy when she found out Morgan wasn't coming." said Mac. "I am looking into the name on the picture. I haven't gotten any place yet."

"Hopefully you find something before she comes back from rehab." Robin said. She had had two weeks too much of Sam McCall. Between the loud sobs over Jason, her verbal attacks over Kelly Lee removing her uterus and then her jumpiness, Robin hated working on the woman's case.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth was having dinner with Emily when she heard a knock on the door. Opening it, she saw a delivery man who handed her a box, told her the tip was taken care of.<p>

"Elizabeth, who is the secret admirer?" asked Emily when she saw the large bouquet of irises.

Reading the card, she laughed then showed Emily that they were from her brother. They said Just Because I love you."He has been worried about me since Grams and I had that fight about marrying Lucky. He said he wanted me to know that I am never alone."

"Awww, that is so sweet." she said then later at home, her mind on how sweet Liz's brother was took out her phone to called Jason. "Why haven't you ever sent me flowers?"

"Emily?" he said. "What is going on?"

Explaining, she said "You have never sent me flowers."

Jason hung up after he told her he had never sent a woman flowers, sister or not, then turned to Sonny. "We have to find this shooter."

Sonny frowned, then said "I can't figure out how they remained hidden. They must be getting help from someone locally."

"We know it's not the Ruiz family, nor was it Alcazar, he is too busy dealing with his wife miscarrying." Jason had no idea and he really didn't like the idea of someone getting that close to them, even if they weren't the target.

Jason sighed then said "Plus there is what Manny Ruiz said about exposing ourselves to danger if we protect Sam."

"Jason we owe Sam our help." he ordered. "Why is this such a problem for you."

"It was what he said about leaving my family unprotected. I just don't like that open ended threat." He didn't tell Sonny that he got the feeling that Manny knew a hell of a lot more than he should.

"That piece of crap, what is with him. First going to the families claiming we are without honor because we let Ric live, he is my brother. I am honoring my mother."

Jason just sighed, he knew that they were worried about more than just that. It was about Carly disrespecting people, about her social climbing ways and about Courtney and the hit and run. It was about all the screw ups that Sonny had made over the years and those that Jason had made in his determination to not disrespect Sonny.

* * *

><p>Mother's Day dawned brightly and a man who didn't know he had tail went to work like he did once a year, taking measurements, writing out plans for something that would never ever happen.<p>

Calling in the work order to begin on Monday, he left the empty space, drove back to town and went on his way, acting like the holiday meant nothing to him, like he had no reason to care that it was Mother's Day.

Elizabeth was in bed when she gave a sigh, mother's day had passed, Cam via her grams had given her a locket with a picture of her and her son. Steven had sent her flowers yet again, also signing Cam's name. She sometimes worried about Cam not having a father, but knew that being without one was preferable to settle for a man like Lucky, a man like Ric.

Frowning as she thought about Ric, he had been around the hospital a lot, talking to her, asking questions about how she was feeling. There was this sense that he was up to something and after their past, she couldn't help wondering if he was.

Then there was the man with the tattoos who had been around General Hospital so often. He hadn't ever said much, had been extremely polite yet Elizabeth knew he was the man who had told Jason she was being protected.

Hearing Lucky's voice, she sighed as he argued with Emily over something. "Look, it's just until Nik returns, I promise, please, I need your help."

Lucky then stormed off when Emily yet again said no. "Emily, is something up?"

"No. I just... I need to speak to you." she said looking around. When they were in a small supply room, she asked "What would you think if I told you that I think... well that I think Lucky is sleeping with Courtney?"

"What?" she asked dazed. "Courtney, why?"

"I don't know, just something I saw down by Kelly's." she said frustrated. "I don't know what to do, do I tell Nik, do I keep my mouth shut, what should I do?"

"First, you say nothing until we find out for sure." said Elizabeth. She had her doubts, Courtney didn't fall for poor men and even if Lucky had gotten his badge back courtesy of Ric, that was not the kind of money she tended to think the blond chased after.

"Okay, okay, yeah, your right. We do nothing without proof." she said walking to the door. Leaving, she looked back and said "I have to finish my shift what are you plans with Cam tonight."

"We have grand plans. I am going to try and get him to eat eggs tonight." she said "Then a nice bath, followed by story as I tuck him into bed. I live such an exciting life."

Emily smiled wistfully as she watched her friend leaving. If Elizabeth only knew how great her life sounded to her.

* * *

><p>The month ended with Jason having an unwanted house guest as Sam was being stalked. She was not happy to be staying in the guest room, had rattled his door the night before, trying to get in.<p>

Annoyed, he had talked to her the next morning, warning her to stop. "Jason, I am scared and I need the comfort only you can provide."

Getting away, he told the guard to keep Sam safe then went to find out what Manny knew. The mobster was nowhere to be found. Jason was at the end of his tether, between Carly who was fighting with Sonny, Sam causing drama.

He had had enough. He was going to get answers and he was not taking no for an answer. Stopping over at the Alcazar residence, he saw the photo of his son. Diego had pissed off the wrong person and had ended up dead. "I am sorry for you loss."

Seeing the look on Lorenzo's face, Jason said "A child, a child is something no parent should be separated from. Whether by death or by any other action."

Lorenzo looked at Morgan then said "Did you hear about Skye, she miscarried."

"Alan told me." he said awkwardly.

"Morgan, I know why you are here, but, but I have no answers. All I know is that someone send the Ruiz brothers after both of us, someone who had to be local. Someone who knows a lot of our secrets." he said. "Skye should have been safe, no one but my attorney knew of that safe house. No one."

"Lansing?" he asked meaning Ric.

"Yeah, I asked his son about it, but Ric said his father has no reason to come after me." he stated.

Jason had gained some knowledge, even if Lorenzo had unknowingly imparted it. "Do you have any idea who is after Sam?"

"No, I should tell you, if you are looking for suspects. I should be on your list. During the virus, she said she hoped my baby died." Walking to his door, Lorenzo said "Now if you will excuse me..., Morgan, one more thing."

The blond turned towards the dark haired man. "Elizabeth Webber, the Ruiz family, they are truly taking her under their protection. You might want to ask yourself why. What did they learn that that makes them so interested in you? Why are they saying you have no honor."

Walking away, he was in his car, when his hands started shaking. He had covered his tracks, no one but no one knew his secret. His head was back against the head rest, counting to ten in his head, needing to regain control before he put his family in danger.

June came and went, with no more answers then before. Just more leads. Jason found out that Sam was adopted, looking into it, trying to find if there was a connection, he ran into dead end after dead end.

He had Sonny telling him to relax, just let things happen. "Man, you need to relax and hey, if she is willing what does it matter. You were happy with her before."

Glaring at Sonny, Jason walked out of the warehouse, Sonny was acting like he should just take Sam back, but he couldn't something was telling him that not to trust the woman he had living at his penthouse.

* * *

><p>On a long drive, Father's day after spending time with Sonny in his glory with his children, all Jason wanted was time away, time to reflect, to deal with the pain, the loneliness he had created on by taking such a hard path when he went to work for Sonny.<p>

He started to look at the hole in his heart, then slammed it shut, reminding himself that he didn't deserve pity, or the right to think about what he was. He had walked away, cut out a major part of his heart to keep it safe.

Now he could only watch, at a distance, a far distance as he ignored the text from Emily asking if he wanted to come over. That Liz was working and that she was babysitting Cam. Em had no idea, none how seeing that little boy ate at his very soul.

Elizabeth and the rest of the Tuesday night movie gang were watching A Touch of Mink and laughing at the ending. "Sorry I don't see Cary Grant as anything special."

Seeing their glares, Georgie said "I mean, yeah he can act but he was no stud muffin. No James Dean."

Robin sat up and crowed "Me thinks that Georgie likes a bad boy, deep down."

"That's why she is dating Mr. Boring and spends more time with me than him." reported Maxie as she snapped up the last of the jelly bellies. "Georgie, dump the dead weight and find yourself a Porsche driving bad boy."

Georgie frowned at the mental image of the man with the hot rod popped into her head as he been doing recently, ruining her work, making her have to delete whole paragraphs, once even a whole chapter.

"Look at that face, so Georgie who is he and why are you still dating Dillon?" asked Emily eagerly.

"No one, there is no one. I love Dillon." she said and Elizabeth winced, she knew that tone, that face, she had been the queen of denial for years about loving the wrong man. By the time she had realized the truth it had been too late and he had moved on with another woman.

Emily stayed behind when the other women left, tonight had been a single movie, no double feature because the Jones girls had agreed to help with the carnival for the Independence Day celebrations.

"Em, what is it?" asked Elizabeth when they were back on the sofa.

"I was following Lucky, trying to see who he was with, instead I saw something else. Dillon, kissing Lulu. They were talking about how he couldn't hurt Georgie, how he had to stay away from Lulu, that she had to stay away from him."

"Dillon is cheating on Georgie?" she asked astonished.

"Yes, they kept talking, then both left, Lulu telling Dillon that she was going to fight for him, that she was the perfect woman for him. It reminded me of Carly and how she was back when she was obsessed with Jason."

"Greats, so another Scorpio/Jones girl is road kill on the Spencer highway." said Elizabeth, reminded of what had happened to Robin and Jason at the hands of Carly.

"True, its why I am hoping that there is someone else out there for Georgie, for after her heart heals." she said. There was silence then Emily said, "I uh, have to show you something."

Taking out the newspaper, she said "Ned sent it to me. He is on tour in Europe, and wanted to give me notice so I wouldn't be hurt when the news came out."

Reading the headline on what had to be the society page, the one word Elizabeth understood was Cassadine. "Wait, is Nik getting married?"

"No, Nik IS married." she said wanly. "He married an Irish girl who inherits her family's estate. Siobhan is her name. There was an Irish paper too, but I cried all over it for what might have been."

"Oh Em, I am so-so sorry." she said hugging her best friend.

"I am seriously considering becoming a lesbian. I can't take having my heart broke by any more men. What do you say, want to run off with me." she said as her tears started in earnest. "Elizabeth, what is wrong with me? Is this punishment for breaking poor Zander's heart?"

"No, Emily, I promise it isn't. Someday you will meet the perfect man, right now you just have to wade through all the toads and toadstools." she said. "Look at me, I haven't given up hope, I am not settling for a tool like Lucky, I truly believe that my soul mate is still out there. I just hope that I recognize him in time, that I don't realize after I lost him what I lost."

Jason was getting nowhere, he had no leads, the only people around had been their men, yet somehow someone had managed to send Sam a huge bouquet of black withered roses with a note that read for your funeral just before a shot had hit the glass doors on his balcony.

"Sam, I don't think it is safe for you here, I am going to have you stay at Sonny's." he suggested.

"No, Jason, you wouldn't want to endanger Michael and Morgan would you?" she asked her hands on his arms. Jason sighed, she was right about the boys, yet the penthouse clearly wasn't safe.

"What about Hawaii, we can go to Hawaii." she suggested. When he seemed to be considering it, Sam was certain her plan had worked.

"No, I can't leave town, not now. Things are up in the air business wise."

"Sonny can handle it, he assured me that if I wanted to go, he would make sure it was fine for us to head out of town." she said confidently.

Frowning, not liking the implications of that, Jason just said "No, I won't leave my family exposed while we don't know what is going on."

"Sonny is quite capable of protecting his family." she said trying not to snap. "I think you should let him take care of Carly and the boys for once, I need you, Jason, please, I am scared."

"Sam, if you want to go to Hawaii, I will send you with some guards, but no, I am not leaving." he said. Walking away when he heard his phone ringing, he answered. "Morgan."

"Jason, we need to talk." said Stan. Reading the file, he said "I know who is after Sam and why. Leave her at the penthouse, she will be safe. I have the shooter on ice."

Jason breathed a sigh of relief then turned to his ex lover and said "Sam, it's over. That was Stan, he has your stalker, you should be able to return to your place by the end of the day."

"But that isn't..." she started to say possible, after all Sonny had arranged for the latest shot, and with Jason as calm as he was, there was no way he knew that part. "isn't what I want. I want to stay here, just to be safe, Jason."

Walking away, he was at the safe house. "Stan what do you have?"

Showing him the man tied up, he said "Meet Ivan Sergeivich, gun for hire to the Russian mob. This isn't about what we thought. Helena Cassadine hired him, she thought Sam was Alexis' daughter."

"No, no, we know that isn't true, we ran tests." said Jason. Turning to the man, he said "How did you get the shot to fire on my penthouse today?"

That was the shot that worried Jason, it meant that his penthouse wasn't safe it meant he had been vulnerable all this time. That all those who had stayed there had been in danger when he had thought they were safe.

"What are you talking about?" asked Stan. "Jason, this guy didn't fire at the penthouse, I had him all this time. I was just waiting for confirmation about who he is."

"Someone fired on the penthouse." he said while Stan sat down and started typing.

"That isn't possible... wait... Jason, I think you need to take a look at this..." Turning the laptop, he showed Jason Milo on the rooftop, taking a shot at the penthouse. "What is going on?"

Jason thought back to all the times Sonny had spent pushing Sam on him this week, all the time off he had been given supposedly to support Sam and how his phone had barely rang unless it was a true emergency and didn't like where this was going.

He had questions, lots of them but for now, he would deal with the Russian who was smirking. "You need to let me go, see, I know things, things you don't want to get out. Someone offered them up to the highest bidder. My boss paid, you have secrets Mr. Morgan, big ones... a very special one, a living breathing secret that you thought no one knew about. However, secrets, they don't stay hidden long."

Jason felt a sense of dread, then took a deep breath, reminding himself that no, no one but him knew his deepest secret. Taking out his gun, he shot the man then called for a clean-up crew. Making a call to the penthouse, he said "Sam, its safe for you to go home, the man confessed to everything. I am going to be out of town for a couple of weeks, you are welcome to stay until I get back, but then you need to move back to your own place."

Across town, Sam called Sonny. "Sonny, it didn't work, he found the real guy. I can't lose him, I just can't. Not after I lost you, after I lost our daughter. He is the only good thing in my life."

Feeling guilty, Sonny hung up the phone. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. Between knowing by helping her he would anger Jason even if he eventually forgave him and the woman he had done wrong to. Thinking on his late daughter and how she had saved her sister, he thought about it, then made a call.

"Set up Sam McCall to be arrested, make it look like Ric, now that he is the DA set her up."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

(Assume = Ass out of U and Me)

Nik came home to prepare his house for his new wife, finding Courtney still living at his house had been a shock to the Greek who was embarrassed by having to explain that he had sent a note to her, through Lucky.

"Nik, please, I love you, I know we can work things out, please?" she asked. Courtney had ignored the note asking her to leave, she had no intentions of losing Nik, he was her dream... a real live prince.

"Courtney, I got married while I was gone. I met someone else." he said. "I will arrange for Alfred to send your bag to you in the morning, but you can't stay here."

"Fine, I will look for a place tomorrow." she said knowing, just knowing she only had one last chance.

"Courtney, I would prefer if you left tonight." he said firmly. "The shuttle is waiting down on the docks and I have a car set up to take you to either your loft or your brothers."

"I can't believe you are throwing me out in the middle of the night." she said her voice breaking.

"Courtney it is barely seven o'clock, hell when you worked at that strip club you wouldn't have even been preparing for your first set yet." he said coldly.

Gasping, the blond with tears in her eyes walked out of the house, glad she hadn't told him about his brother. Let Nik figure it out, that Lucky was a drug addict. She had been trying to help the cop, but now, now he was on his own.

* * *

><p>Robin was watching Elizabeth who was reading a book in the cafeteria and asked "What has you so engrossed?"<p>

Lifting up a novel, she said ruefully. "I uh, a patient gave it to me. I promised to read it, but had no real intention of doing so. It's good, very good."

"What it is?" she asked looking at the cover and the half clothed man on it. "Never mind, are there any more pictures of him inside."

Laughing, she said "Regretfully no. But the description, is better than the cover. More detailed."

"Can I borrow the book, it might be the only romance I have in my life for a while." she said. "Add that to dealing with poor Maxie..."

"What is going on?" asked Elizabeth as she slightly resentfully looked at Robin for taking up her time and distracting her from the adventures of Edmond and Josephine.

"She went on a date, and it was a disaster, there was a false alarm at the movies, then the pizza parlor's computer messed up their order. Followed by his car's computer going bonkers and they had to call a tow truck."

Elizabeth couldn't help it, she laughed. "Wow, talk about a bad date."

"Then the man blamed it all on her. Maxie swears she is giving up on men." she told her.

"There is a lot of that going around. Emily was saying the same thing, I saw Georgie and she didn't look too happy at Kelly's. Lulu was there chasing after Dillon."

"Not me, I know that Prince Charming exists, I just have to find the right frog." said Robin cheerfully. Then stopped smiling. "I guess a prince isn't so great, look at Nik."

"No, I would be happy with a man who takes out the trash, loves my son and makes me toes curl." tossed out Elizabeth. "You know what, I am going to finish this book, then the next in the series then I am going hunting, searching like other women do."

"Elizabeth?" Turning and blushing at the same time, the younger woman said "Hello Dr. Quartermaine may I help you?"

"Can we talk for a moment?" he asked then saw her suddenly hiding her book. When they were in his office, he held out his hand, read the back cover and said "Now why would you feel the need to hide this?"

"UHHH!" Blushing deep red, in her mind his son Jason had replaced Edmond with the descriptions being so close and that she had almost orgasmed the night before reading one of the explicit love scenes.

"Never mind, I am only teasing. As to why I needed to talk to you. Now that you have finished your surgical probation, I needed to know if you wanted to be added to the rotation available for the doctors."

Seeing her excitement, he said "It's only a small raise at first, but it puts you in line for overtime pay anytime a surgery goes over six hours."

"Thanks and yes, I would like that rotation." she said beaming as she stood. Walking to the door, she heard her name being called. Seeing Patrick Drake she said "Did you call me?"

"Yes, I need you. Sam McCall is being brought over from the police station. She needs to be reopened. I told her to take it easy, that the bullet fragments might become a problem at some point. She tried to escape custody, then collapsed on the roof."

Leaving, Elizabeth went to scrub up. Eight hours later, she went to the hallway while the more senior nurse did the clean up and counts. Hearing Patrick explaining to Jason about Sam's condition gave her pause.

A bit ashamed of herself for dreaming about a man who had never loved her, who was with another woman and had been for a couple of years, made her feel low and did a number on her self esteem.

"Drake, how is Ms McCall?" asked Mac along with Ric who smirked at Jason.

"Like I said, what took so long was locating the fragments. She will be fine to be moved in about two weeks." he said then went to shower and change. Elizabeth followed and was about to leave when she heard the other Dr. Quartermaine calling out to her. "Elizabeth, you left this in Alan's office. He asked me to return it to you."

"Thanks." she said then left quickly. At home, she tossed the book in the trash, determined to get over her lingering attraction to another woman's man.

* * *

><p>Georgie sat down exhausted at the end of her shift and waited for Dillon who was picking her up. She had decided that she was no longer going to play these games, she was going to simply tell Dillon they were over and that she was not going to play second fiddle to his stepsister.<p>

An hour later, annoyed she called the mansion only for Alice to say "Ms Jones, Mr Dillon and Ms. Spencer took off to Mexico this morning."

Furious at the man, all she did was walk to the bus stop. Hearing a horn beep. She looked at the seventies car and asked "What are you doing here?"

"Hop it, it is about to rain. I will run you home." he offered. Sighing she looked around then up at the impending storm and got in. "Good, now where do you live?"

"Here, take me to this building, my cousin lives there." she said giving him the address.

Not telling her he knew the building, that he knew it very well in fact, John drove her over, let her out at the corner and went to see what his newly arrived sister was up to. Seeing her leaving the bar and getting into a limo with a man he knew to be Sonny Corinthos, John drove home.

* * *

><p>Jason had no idea what was going on, but he saw his boss pick up the woman at the bar and leave. Knowing Sonny would be busy, he hurried to the warehouse and went through files, finding nothing about why he was doing what he was, Jason just went home, trying to wrap his head around this latest betrayal.<p>

"Stan anything?"

"Yeah but you aren't going to like it." he said grimly. Looking up, he said "This was a set up, to get you to rescue Sam, problem is that someone else decided to make it real. A hacker got into the system, Sam is going to go to prison for real. There is more, but you might not want to see it."

"What is it?"

"Last week, just before the arrest, Lansing made a visit to the Zachara compound." he told his boss.

"I think it is time I confronted Sonny about this." he said his mind on the woman he had tracked back to the Zacharas as well.

* * *

><p>Manny leered when the dark haired woman showed up. "I want to know what your interest is in that little milk toast of a nurse and her connections to the mob."<p>

"Nope, I have no intention of telling you, none at all." said the man with a smirk at the woman. "Did you just come from rutting with the enemy. I wonder what your father would think, Ms. Zachara."

"Leave my father out of this." she snarled. Her father had no idea of her plans and if he found out about Corinthos he might throw a spike into them. She was going to be the winner and the only one running her family and maybe just maybe the Corinthos/Morgan syndicate as well with the hot looking enforcer beneath her in more ways than one.

Tsk tsking her, he said "No can do, see your father... well I have plans for him. Your plans don't interfere with mine so I will let they stay in play, but go after the beautiful nurse and all bets are off." said Manny. "Now I would shower before heading home, you smell like sex."

Claudia slapped him, then stormed away. She had one more source and one that she had gotten information out of before. "What is Morgan's interest in that Nurse Webber?"

Ric looked up with hooded eyes at the woman who made him hot without even trying and said "Leave Elizabeth Webber alone. She is not to be used as a pawn in your games, Claudia."

"Who is this woman, the Ruiz, the Alcazar and the Corinthos family all protect her, then there is you, Ric. What is your interest in a single mother with a bastard child."

Gripping his hands tightly under the desk, Ric snarled. "Leave her alone Claudia."

"Interesting, well Ric, you know what I want in exchange for my agreeing, what I always want." she said slowly unbuttoning her shirt.

"Claudia, I am married." he protested even as he felt his body hardening. When the woman walked over and pressed his head into her now naked hips, he couldn't resist at least licking the skin, unaware of the woman who had come to tell him she had just found out she had cancer.

Alexis watched, frozen, unable to move at the disgusting things and noises coming out of what had been her office. When her husband slapped the woman, then bit her as he took her from behind, all she could do is watch, not believing this was happening now.

The climax came and Alexis heard the woman tell Ric that he was always what she needed, then mentioned having slept with Sonny a couple of hours before. "So, how does it feel to have sloppy seconds."

"Not the first time with you, is it?" he said. "Hell I fucked you after you fucked my father after all."

Alexis fled at that point, running as far away as she could. Arriving at the hotel, she tried to calm down but Jax still saw through her pain. Taking care of her, after hearing her story, Jax wanted nothing more than to kill Ric Lansing for hurting her this way.

At GH he went looking for the lawyer after his office had said he was there deposing a witness. Searching for Ric, he found him walking into the room where Sam McCall was recovering. "Ric what do you want?"

"Oh, a lot of things." he said. "Now, unless you want Jason to know you secrets, I would consider taking my offer."

"No, you can take that offer and shove it up your..." Ric put his hand over her mouth, then smirked before asking if she was smart enough to take what he was offering.

Jax left, going to talk to Mac, certain that Ric was screwing things up for the police. He missed seeing Elizabeth heading down the hall to the room to check on her patient.

"So, Sammy... I am going to leave now, but imagine what Jason would think, if he were to find out how you have Sonny by the balls, if he were to learn that you and my brother screwed around in his penthouse."

"Y-you have no proof." she said stuttering a bit even as she tried to figure out how he knew.

"I actually do have proof." Playing the small recording devise, the two heard Sam and Sonny clearly misbehaving in a bedroom.

"That wasn't at the penthouse, that was at Sonny's you pig." she shouted.

"Yeah, I know, see I have these lovely little devises, I can have the signal sent up to a quarter of a mile, I planted them all over the place. I knew I would catch you one day and you are going to give me Jason, or else."

Returning to the door, Ric thought he heard something only to see a nurse heading into the next room. Sticking around, he saw it was Elizabeth and knew he had to get a bug on her. He had to know what she knew and if she knew anything at all.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile across town, Carly was getting annoyed with Sonny avoiding her. Arriving at his estate she hurried in and demanded to know what was going on?<p>

"Nothing, we are just trying to keep Sam out of trouble." he said.

Jason entered then glared at his boss. "Then maybe you shouldn't have gone along with her hair brained scheme to get herself arrested so I could rescue her."

"SONNY!" snapped Carly "Why would you do that, I told you, I wanted Sam out of his life, why can't you just for once listen to me."

"Carly, you don't decide who is in or not in my life, and right now, I need to talk to Sonny and you need to leave." Calling for one of the guards, Jason told Max to drive the blond home then said "Tell your brother to get in here, now."

Milo came in and stood off to the side, while Sonny was stuttering offering up excuses as to why he helped Sam. "I don't care, we have even bigger problems thanks to your mess. Recognize her?" he asked showing his boss the picture.

Starting to deny it, he then saw the other half and swore. "Why is she with Trevor Lansing?"

"She is Claudia Zachara, Trevor and her have been the behind the scenes players in that organization for years. Add that to them creating the tension that brought the Ruiz family to town and we have big problems, all because you couldn't keep your nose out of my life."

"It wasn't like that Jason. Sam makes you happy and you make her happy, I was only trying to help." he said then winced at the so Carly answer.

"Sonny, I don't need you help. I didn't tell you this, because it is really none of your business, but Sam didn't make me happy. She was a placeholder, a way to have someone there. But I was making a mistake, I can't do that, not anymore. I want more from my life than a woman like Sam."

"What is wrong with Sam?" he asked confused. "She is good in bed, after all I have had her their myself."

"That alone should have been a clue that something is wrong. Sonny under normal circumstances, I would never be involved with someone you were, you know that." he said. "I was lost, hurting and she was there, pregnant. I had..."

Jason almost said he had lost a child, but kept his mouth shut then wished he hadn't when Sonny brought up Courtney and that if he was regretting ending things with his sister, she was free and would more than likely be happy to get back together.

"No, no, you aren't getting it Sonny. I don't want Courtney, I don't want Sam. I want, I want what I can't have." he said sorrowfully as he walked towards the door. Then looking at his partner he said "I will clean up this mess, but after that, Sam is on her own. Don't help her again."

Leaving and taking Milo with him, he never saw Sonny calling Sam and giving her a heads up. "Our plan worked."

A bit uneasy, she looked at the door where she saw Ric sliding something in his ex wife's purse while talking to her. Sam got the feeling that it wouldn't be as easy as Sonny thought unless... unless Ric died.

Elizabeth was on her way out of the hospital when she saw Jason and handing her purse to Robin said she would be right with them. "I have to talk to Jason for a moment."

Going over a bit nervous, she said "I need to speak to you."

"Oh course, what is it?" he asked looking at Elizabeth admiring how beautiful she looked in her green scrubs.

"Ric, I heard him talking to Sam today. He was harassing her, I missed part of it, what I did hear was him saying that he had a lot of places bugged with devices that have a range of a quarter mile."

"Thanks, how is Sam?" he asked anxiously. He was going to have to get her out of there, they weren't allowed contact with the woman but he knew, that if she was well she would go if he asked.

"Better, the wound has healed. All that is left is regaining her strength." she said then on her way to Robin's car, turned to see him still watching.

On the way home, they talked about the GNO, the problems that Maxie was having lately and about Georgie and Emily, not knowing they were annoying Ric who was listening in as Robin drove them home.

Calling Stan, Jason said for him to meet him at GH.

"We need to get Sam out of there, how do we do it?" he asked.

"I can arrange for her to need a test, that is the best place to take her out." he said. "Why are we meeting here?"

"I think my place is bugged." Telling him what Elizabeth said, he saw Stan nod then said "I have Milo by the way, he has no idea he is doing busy work. I think I need to speak to Max as well."

"He is easy to arrange." said Stan.

"Good, now I have to meet that contact." he said heading for Jake's.

Entering through the back, he saw the dark haired man sitting in a both and watching a group a couple feet away. "Morgan, join me."

"What do you want?" he asked sitting across from the kid.

"Right now for a certain woman to be a little more experienced, a little older and not the daughter of a cop." he said grimacing. "Why I am here, is to give you warning. My sister is looking into Lansing's ex wife. Not sure why but she seems to think she is the way to take down all three Port Charles organizations."

"I don't like that. What about Lansing, what is Trevor up to?"

"Nothing, he has been strangely silent since Claudia showed up and my father has been locking himself in his room more. Usually that isn't good news." he said frowning.

They heard shouting from across the room and Jason turned in time to see Elizabeth drop kick Lucky Spencer out the door with help from the Quartermaine maid, who then shook her hand then with a grin, waved at the women and left.

There was clapping from the rest of the women then Coleman came over with a bottle of tequila saying it was on the house. When he set down a fresh bowl of lemons, then left, the entire table was telling Elizabeth to drink, drink, drink.

"Okay, okay but only one more shot." she said with a laugh. When the two men had watched the ritual performed by Elizabeth, then followed by the others they missed seeing the small dark man slip out the back.

"Found him boss, with another man, they are watching women. Yeah, nice looking ones. Real clean and classy looking if you know what I mean." he said. The man on the other end cackled and said "Photos, man, photos."

Inside, Robin was arguing with Patrick who had come in to see Elizabeth. She had been the last nurse to check on Sam and now the patient was missing.

"She was fine when I left." she replied almost certain Jason had gotten her out of the hospital.

AT GH, Mac was threatening to fire the officer on guard when he finally got a hold of camera footage and saw Sam McCall walking right out of the hospital on her own.

Ric was livid, he had let go of the fact he had bugged Sonny's house, and now Sam was going to warn Jason about his place too. Cursing as he left, he checked on the bug Elizabeth had; certain she had something to do with the scrubs Sam had worn out the door.

He had seen her carrying something into Sam's room, but he hadn't expected her to help the woman escape.

Elizabeth shrugged off Sam's escape and had another drink while Robin decided that tonight was the night she would find out what was so great about Doctor Drake. "Maxie, I am going home with the hottie doc, make sure that Mac doesn't see Georgie, okay?"

The blond looked over at her sister who had already had four shots, a girl who didn't drink, EVER was well on her way to being drunk. An underage drunk at that. When she missed yet another shot while playing pool, Maxie sighed then shook her head.

Lainey meanwhile was trying to keep Kelly Lee from drooling as a very handsome man entered the bar. "Who is that?"

"Don't know, but I am calling dibs." said Kelly.

Turning, Emily laughed then said "That is Elizabeth's brother and I saw him first."

"No you didn't, I am the one facing the door." protested Kelly.

"But I met him a few years ago. He is a bit of a stuffed shirt, at least he used to be. However, he is a lot better looking than then." she said standing and going over to Steven. "Are you looking for Elizabeth.

"Yes, do you know where she is?" he asked looking around the crowded bar.

"Follow me." she said giggling as they went to the table. When he sat down, Emily looked around trying to figure out where the other chairs were, then said "Screw it, we are just going to have to share."

Sitting down on a surprised Steven's lap, she said to the others "Where is Elizabeth, she was here a minute ago."

"Oh, I knew there was something I should have told her." said a laughing Lainey as she leered at the doctor. "She left hoping for a ride with Robin and Doctor McDreamy."

"Why?" whined Emily. "Was I boring her?"

"No, she said something about being off tomorrow and wanting a clear head to spend the day with Cameron." replied Maxie who added. "She hurried out the back door to catch up with them, if she didn't, she was going to come back in, so maybe you will get lucky and she didn't find them."

* * *

><p>Sam meanwhile had gotten up the many flights of stairs and was knocking on Jason's door. Stan opened it and frowned saying. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the hospital?"<p>

"I had to run, you don't understand. Ric is framing me." she shrilly announced.

Stan let her in and called Jason who sighed then said "I am already on my way."

Turning to Elizabeth who was using Robin's leaving as an excuse to talk to him without her friends know, he said "I will take you home, someone showed up at my penthouse."

"I had better come over, and check her wound." she said then went back to where her purse was on the dumpster. When Jason tried to protest, the drunk Elizabeth said "No, I am coming with you, so stop arguing or I will drive er, take a taxi over on my own."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Maxie said "Guess not. Hey, Emily who is that hot guy who was speaking to your brother, he isn't a coffee guy is he, because I don't like how close he is to Georgie."<p>

Emily squinted and said "Never seen him before. Excuse me, I have a ride home and I am going to take that ride."

Pulling up Steven she said cheerfully. "Elizabeth owes me, a brother for a brother."

None wanted to question the resident what that was about, they just let her lead the doctor out the door and off to slaughter. "Looks like we aren't going to get laid tonight, unless Georgie wants to share."

Lainey sighed then signaled Coleman for a taxi. Within minutes all that was left of their party was Maxie who was in shock watching as her sister flirted with the dark haired hottie and all but groped him in public.

Heading to the bathroom, playing on getting Georgie out of there, Maxie found herself grabbed from behind and soon unconscious. "I am sorry my goddess, but I must have uninterrupted time to court you."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Elizabeth was not happy that Jason had ordered her to come with him as they got off the elevator and entered Sonny's old place. "Where are we going?"<p>

In the car, Ric was pissed, the mike kept fading in and out, he had no idea what was going on. When he heard the words Harborview towers, he grimaced, then drove over. Getting dead air, he swore, Sam had to be there, she had to have told them about the bugs and now they were going to cover their asses.

Well not this time, this time he was going to win, over Sonny, over Jason, he was going to give Liz a choice, him or jail. He was dreaming of his life, where he was the one in charge.

Jason told Elizabeth about what Sam had been up to with Sonny, she needed to know everything before she took any more risks. "I still need to check her wound."

"Fine, but I want you to promise to go home after that, please?" he asked a bit more harshly than he had intended.

Agreeing, she went over to the other penthouse with him. Seeing Sam, she said "I am here to check your stitches, you took a hell of a chance Sam. You could die from this."

The other woman just said "I will be fine, I am tough."

"Why would you risk it though?" she asked then heard about all about Sam's great love for Jason. Wanting to snap what the man had just told her in Sonny's place about how he didn't love her back, that Sam was endangering him and others for her own purposes, instead she just told her to take it easy.

Riding down in the elevator, she was about to cross the parking lot when she saw the blue lights out of the corner of her eye. Returning to the service elevator, she hurried back up.

Entering she said "The police are downstairs, Lucky and Ric are outside."

Swearing softly he said "We have to get you out of here."

Stan meanwhile was searching the room, muttering that how did they know... then the machine started beeping at Elizabeth's purse.

"How stupid are you? You brought that damn bugged purse here?" shrieked the short tanned woman.

Turning to Sam, Jason asked "How did you know about the bug."

"I saw Ric put it in her purse." she snapped moving around him to glare at Elizabeth for sticking her nose in where it wasn't wanted.

"You didn't think to say anything when you saw us." snapped Elizabeth back at her. "Never mind, we have to do something."

Stan took the bug out then said "Some good news, the signal is being broken up, they might not have got much."

Elizabeth suddenly thought about her book, then had an evil idea. One that would kill a few birds with one stone. "I have an idea."

"Haven't you done enough?" Sam asked sourly. "Why are you here anyways?"

Elizabeth grimaced as she recalled she was wearing a pair of see thru panties, then looked at Sam and Stan. "You two need to go upstairs. Jason take off your shirt."

"Good idea, but you need to go a bit further." said Stan enjoying how green Sam's face was turning. "We need to keep them from entering and the only way to do that is to be well a bit more undressed if you know what I mean."

"No!" Jason said. Sam smirked, she knew Jason didn't want skinny little Elizabeth and this proved it. He couldn't even fake it with her.

"Jason, it's fine." she said softly. "I should have thought about Ric bugging me, he has been bothering me for a while."

"Elizabeth, I won't use you like that. You mean too much to me for me to allow this to happen." Jason was frantic, this idea, it was why he hadn't want her in his life in the first place. He didn't want her degrading herself to help him.

"We don't have time." Stan said. "There is a paper warrant into Judge Thompson even as we speak. You need to do this, Jason. We have no choice."

"No, why not make it Stan and Elizabeth... after all no one would believe that Jason and she are involved." said Sam scoffing. "As if.."

Jason's eyes meet Elizabeth's. They both knew that it had to be them, that it would be the only thing to stop Ric in his tracks.

Sam was fuming when Stan who was at the computer said "We don't have that much time, guys."

"Jason, I trust you." said Sam in a trembling voice as she said "You, you have my permission."

That did it, Elizabeth turned and said "Why on earth when you two have been broken up since the Virus would he need your permission. You are the reason that this mess is going on, now either get in the closet or up the stairs. Either way do me a favor, shut up."

"Jason-" she cried plaintively.

"Sam, Elizabeth is right. I am a big boy, we are over and I can do what I want." he snapped. "You on the other hand have been playing games and once again I am at risk and now others are too so we can clean up your mess.

Stan said "I have just the thing to set the scene."

Tossing down the condoms, he saw Jason's glare and said "Momma always said Safety first."

Elizabeth saw Jason removing his shirt, then Stan shoving Sam into the closet and taking his computer with him. He heard the fugitive panting and said "Would you cut it out, we don't want them to hear you."

"Shut up, my boyfriend is out there pretending to make out with another woman, I get to be upset." she retorted.

"Your ex is with the woman he has long been attracted to and you can't do anything about it, must be rough to be you, Sam." Stan sneered. "Not unless you want to go to prison."

Jason kicked off his jeans, tossing them on the chair, then sat down, trying to hide his erection from Elizabeth who had seen it and had decided for once to be aggressive, to push Jason over the edge since this was the closest they would ever come to making love.

Stopping Elizabeth from removing her skirt, he said "That's fine that way."

"Be right back." she said then went to the bathroom and removed the panties. "Now what?"

His mind on the past, he said "Remember that night, the one you found Sarah and Lucky."

"Got it." she said then pushed Jason down on the sofa and straddled him. Sam meanwhile was wondering what they were talking about. Starting to open the door, just a little she was pissed when Stan gave it a good click then put in some ear plugs.

Outside, Jason was positive that the next seven minutes were going to be pure hell. He had no control over his body already around Elizabeth, now he had to try and keep from actually making love to the woman whose body and mind starred in some of his most feverish dreams.

Elizabeth could feel Jason's hesitation, his distraction as she separated her knees a bit more, so that she was closely pressed against his erection. "Jason?"

Seeing the nervousness, the doubt in her eyes, did away with his own doubts. Jason found himself pushing his hand through her hair as he pulled her into an open mouthed, and very carnel kiss. Tongues touched, lips quested as Jason took a chance at making sure Elizabeth would never again forget what it was like to be kissed by him.

Elizabeth was surprised when Jason had suddenly just gave in and took her lips, then pulled her whole body into the kiss they were sharing. There was a sense of desperation that had nothing to do with the situation they were in, she felt like he was trying to steal her soul with each pass of his lips against hers.

Clenching at the strong, warm shoulders as he dragged her against him, his other hand moving it's way around as if searching for something even as he continued to kiss her until she had forgotten why they were doing what they were doing.

The sound of lips touching lips, panting, drove Sam to tears in the closet when she heard a moan. Certain it was Elizabeth, because after all, Jason wouldn't be into this, after all, it was Elizabeth he was pretending with.

On the sofa, Jason had tore his lips away from the luscious pair belong to Elizabeth and kissed his way down her soft, supple neck. Feeling how fast her heart was beating, Jason pulled back and cupped her head with his hands. "Are you sure you are okay with this?"

Barely able to nod, feeling a sense of deja vu, she was a bit surprised when Jason lowered his head and seized her lace clad breast with his mouth. As his teeth scraped her nipple through the fabric, she eased up on her knees to strain closer to his demanding lips.

When Jason reached behind her, undoing the clasp, she was barely conscious of being half naked as he tossed the bits of silk aside and bared her breasts to his eager gaze.

While his calloused hand was cupping and molding one of her breasts, his mouth was laying claim to the erect nipple of the other. When he pulled it inside his warm mouth, she moaned, loudly and heard Sam's whimper.

Not caring about Sam's pain, forgetting all about Stan as Jason nuzzled between them, then as he lavished attention on the most incredible breasts of his life. "I love your breasts, they are just perfect. Not overly large, not fake, just perfectly sized for me. They fit my hands perfectly, that make my mouth water at the thought of feasting on nothing but them."

In the closet, Sam just kept trying to tell herself that he was faking this, that he didn't like the small flat chested bitch who was out there knowing how this was hurting Sam, hurting Jason really... when he remembered who he was with, he would have regrets and this... this would hurt the man she loved.

Jason saw the flush on Elizabeth's face, saw she was right there with him in her passion and without warning lifted her to her feet and wrapped one of her legs around his head and on the back of the sofa as he bent his head to press a kiss between her legs.

When his tongue delved into her curls to take a lick, she moaned his name out loud only to hear him give a quiet chuckle as he supported her legs in case they weakened as he lashed away at her warm moist slit.

"This would be better done like this." said Jason easing her down over top of his head as he had her squirming and biting her lips to keep quiet as he sent her over the edge. She could see his erect cock, mere millimeters out of reach of her mouth and couldn't resist lightly running her fingers along the sewed edge of his boxer briefs.

"Elizabeth, touch me, please." he moaned out loud while Sam who was about to bust out of the closet was grabbed by Stan and shown the picture on the laptop of Lucky and Ric getting on the elevator.

Gritting her teeth, debating being able to run for it, that was forgotten when she saw the image of uniformed officers coming up the stairs.

Jason meanwhile had regained a semblance of control and remembered their audience. Pulling back, at least partway, he could only marvel at how beautiful Elizabeth was as he pulled her onto his lap and put her so that her back was to the door.

The rustling about created a delicious friction that was driving both of them towards the precipice even as he reminded himself that he was the last man Elizabeth would want in her life and that she was right to keep her distance from him.

He had taken advantage of her, knowing she wouldn't stop him, but some thing deep inside of him, something he had kept trapped, boxed up so it couldn't take control was driving him on, telling him to reach out and grab the chance again.

He had pushed Elizabeth from acting into doing and he knew it. Lifting her to ease the pressure on his straining cock peaking through his briefs, he accidentally pressed against her tight hole.

Elizabeth could feel his tip resting against her, wishing he had on a condom, she leaned over to reach for them when she felt the slight sting of Jason's thickness starting to fill her. Stiffening at first, she laughed when Jason whispered gutturally at her to relax.

Jason pulled back, intending to withdraw when she reached out and grabbed his hand, pressing it against her heart and whispered so softly that a straining Sam couldn't hear what was being said "It's fine, Jason better than fine, in fact."

Thrusting back in again and again, he pulled back and looked down at the skirt covering where they were connected and then ran his hand down her back and soon had her rear cupped tightly as he drove deeper and deeper, reclaiming what belonged to him.

Elizabeth's eyes were watching his as blue became almost a molten gray as it felt like Jason couldn't get enough of her. Lips were on her neck, his other hand was caressing her body, exploring, tracing as she lifted his head and with a quick tug pulled him into a kiss.

Sam's whimpers were silent, she felt broken as she listened to the moans and in spite of knowing they were faking, she felt as if Jason had ripped her heart out and stomped on it.

Outside on the sofa, Jason's thrusts had become more urgent, driving into her with deep, long strokes that made her bite her lips after Jason buried his head into her shoulder, knowing he was about to lose control.

Feeling Jason tugging at her leg, easing it behind his waist even as his thrusts grew more erratic, more demanding Elizabeth gave in to her own wants and leaned down to caress him, wanting to feel the oneness they were creating, knowing it would never happen again.

Her touch drove him over the restraints keeping him in control as words that he thought were making sense came out as "Eliza... oh... that is... oh, no more, I can't let you go... not again... never, ever again."

Beyond senseless, she could barely hear him as light exploded behind her eyelids as white hot pleasure surrounded her. With a groan, Jason drove in as deep as he could, to the hilt as his body sent her into the heavens even as he found himself home shouting "Mine... and mine alone. Do you hear me."

Their bodies shivering from the intense release of the mind blowing passion, all Jason could do was caress Elizabeth's shaking shoulders while trying to figure out where to go from here.

He knew it would be a hard road. He had a secret a big one that Elizabeth was going to hate him for, but... but this moment, this time was telling him not to let her go, to find a way to fix things. To lay claim to what belonged to him no matter the consequences to outsiders.

"Jason-" Elizabeth was looking up into Jason's eyes, she had forgotten all about Ric, about Lucky being outside, wanting to bust in, in her need to tell him what was in her heart, what had been there for so long.

"Port Charles Police, we have a warr- oh my god." Mac Scorpio didn't know where to look as he turned around and faced away from the sofa and towards where the rest of the men were standing.

The sight of Elizabeth Webber and Jason Morgan naked on the sofa was now seared into his brain. Counting to ten and reopening his eyes, the sight in front of him was almost worth the therapy he would need as Lucky Spencer turned green, then red and finally white before passing out onto the stone floor in the doorway.

But the piece de resistance was Ric Lansing, the man looked like he had been shot. No, being shot would have probably hurt the slimy, corrupt, power abusing creep less. "W-w-wha..."

With that Lansing joined Spencer on the ground. "Morgan, uh, I hate to ask but is there a robe nearby?"

"No, we weren't expecting company at one in the morning." snarled the man on the sofa as he held Elizabeth against him and reached for the t-shirt on it's back. Pulling it over Elizabeth's body, he said "Would you please get the hell out of my house?"

"Uh, we..." Seeing the ridiculousness of executing a search warrant for Sam McCall on Jason's penthouse, Mac said "Sorry to have bothered you, next time, might I recommend locking the door."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, this was getting too long so I am cutting it into two chapters. You only get part of the Sam reaction this chapter, and only the JeGo sex, next chapter has the Stemily sex.

_**Chapter Four**_

**(That black cloud hanging overhead, yeah it's scary but that is why they invented umbrellas. Just get a bright yellow one, or a blue one with white polka dots.)**

Jason just held Elizabeth tightly against him as the police quickly pulled the door closed. As she started to move as if to wiggle away, he was intensely aware that he was still buried deep inside of her. "Elizabeth, for the love of…"

Moaning rather loudly, he just reached down and held her hips tight, pressing her down onto his growing erection. Resting his head against hers, he whispered "I would give almost anything to be able to continue this and right now I don't get the feeling that that is what you want, so please unless you do want to be flat on your back and us going for another round, let me lift you off of me."

Seeing her eyes widen as she bit her lips, he said "We need to talk and Elizabeth; we will be talking because I let you walk away from me once before, acting like we had never loved one another. This time that won't be happening. You and I, this; this right here is a second chance for us. Please, let's take it."

Sitting on him, feeling his strength, his control, she looked into his eyes, seeing something like fear as he watched her. "Jason, for now, lets deal with this one day at a time. Can we please try that?"

"Elizabeth, I am fine with that, as long as in the end, it is Cam, you and me as a family." He whispered then frowned.

Seeing him frowning she said "What is it?"

Looking at the coat closet, then at her, he said "I was expecting to have to shoot Sam after what just happened. That she would be coming out of the closet, attacking us. Maybe she has finally got it, that we aren't going to be together."

Hoping more than believing, Elizabeth let Jason lift her off of him. Shocked at how her mouth suddenly was full of saliva at the image of his glistening cock still moist from their loving, she moaned then saw him looking at her like she was his first meal in years. "What?"

"You, the sight of you, knowing what we did, that part of me is still in you, is such a turn on." He said as he fixed himself so he could pull on his jeans.

He had always been so careful about condoms, yet here he was, thinking thoughts that he was quite sure would be considered criminal, like having more children with Elizabeth. That stopped his daydreaming, he knew that was going to be the big problem they would have to overcome, his secret and why he hadn't told her the truth.

Elizabeth couldn't find her bra, looking around, and then down, she shrugged then went to find her shirt. "Keep mine on, I like the idea of you being wrapped up in my shirt."

Jason glanced again at the closet, still wondering why Stan hadn't said anything either, he was about to reach for the door when he saw the bite mark on his shoulder. "When did you bite me?"

Frowning she said "I don't remember." All she could do was stare, her mind on the romance novel and how the heroine would bite her lover during sex.

Hurrying up the stairs to grab another shirt, hoping that Stan nor Sam came out while he was gone, he rushed back down and yanked open the door while Elizabeth leaned against the sofa.

Inside, Stan squinted a bit at he sudden light, and then took out his ear plugs. Looking at Sam, he snickered as she sat on the floor, her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth silently.

Getting accustomed to the light, he looked at his boss who looked like he had just been well sated, then back at the mess of a woman on the floor and said "Sam?"

The rocking continued but now Sam was sobbing and muttering no, no, it's just pretend… he loved me, me not her… Courtney is wrong, she has to be. No, no, it's not happening, he is just saying that about her breasts to make her more comfortable…

At that point the rocking sped up, Sam's head hitting the back of the closet wall in a steady thump as she began spouting what sounded like gibberish. Just to be sure, Stan turned on one of his recorders and walked out.

Smirking he shut the door, telling Jason to leave her there. "I will take care of her. You two go ahead and leave. Jason, you should know, I can see Lucky Spencer sitting in an unmarked squad car across the street on the computer."

Ric hurried into the home he shared with Alexis and Kristina to see his wife sitting on the sofa, reading. "Hello Ric how was your day?"

"Fine, busy though." He said trying to act normal.

"Really, did you have a lot of briefs to go through?" she asked, trying not to clench her teeth as her mind went back to what she had seen in his office.

"No, just Sam McCall escaped. We didn't find her yet." He replied as he went towards the hall.

Alexis counted to ten, her mind on what she had heard from Detective Harper who had felt the need to warn her about what had gone on that evening. "Did you check Jason Morgan's penthouse that is the first place she would go."

"No, she wasn't there." He said sharply then apologized for snapping at her. Walking to the bathroom, he got into the shower, his mind on Elizabeth and Jason who had been having sex… with each other.

Crying silently, he sat down on the tile bench, his anger growing at Elizabeth once again choosing a loser over him. Vowing revenge, to use Sam McCall to bring Jason down, to prove to Elizabeth that he was the better man, Ric finished his shower and went straight to bed.

Alexis stayed on the sofa, not trusting herself to be in the same bed as her husband without smothering him.

Lucky Spencer was sitting in the police car, fuming at being a laughing stock in front of his fellow officers. Taking out his bag of pills, he searched the corners, looking for just one more, needing the release from the pain he was under.

Not finding one, he checked his pockets, nothing. Torn between wanting another fix and letting Elizabeth know what a whore he thought she was, he sat there, withdrawing, knowing that he had to fix her, that he had to make sure she knew that without him, she was the same broken girl who came out from under those bushes.

Jason turned to Elizabeth as they came out of the elevator. "Which vehicle should we take my bike or the truck?"

"The truck would be best; at least for tonight since it is so cool." She said with a smile.

"I just had a thought, do you have to pick up Cam tonight?" he asked as he helped her into the high vehicle.

"No, he is spending the night with Grams. She is getting ready to move to Arizona for at least half the year so I let her take him at least one night a week." She explained.

"Arizona, are you okay with that?" he asked a bit concerned that Elizabeth's last blood relative was leaving town.

"Yes, she is going to be traveling back and forth but with her retirement, even with all of her volunteer projects, she was a bit bored." Jason drove through the semi-silent streets towards her apartment building.

"Elizabeth… tonight, I have dreamed of us, of being with you like that for years." He admitted flushing. "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I have no regrets."

"I don't have any either." She said looking at his profile. "Though, I could have lived without Stan and your ex girlfriend being in the closet listening to us."

With a sharp laugh, he said "Me too, but at least Stan had in ear plugs."

Walking her up to her apartment, he was about to go and knock on Emily's door when Elizabeth said "Jason, its two in the morning, she is more than likely asleep."

When she had unlocked her door, Jason took a look around before entering for just a moment. Shutting the door behind him, he had her pressed between the wall and him as he captured her lips in quick kiss. Pulling back just a bit, he said "This time, don't forget about me by morning."

Hurrying out the door, he was in his truck, wincing as he knew she had to be trying to figure out what he was talking about.

Elizabeth just went to shower, grimacing at the sticky evidence that they hadn't used protection. Soon she was fast asleep, her body exhausted, her mind at peace and her heart aware she was once again one with her soul mate.

Jason went for a drive, arriving back at the Towers, he was about to pull in when he saw that Spencer was still there. Making a quick call, he was told "He went ape shit when Mac had the medics revive him. He refused to go to the hospital, said he was fine. You should be worried man, with the way that worthless piece of crap is acting; he would shoot you in the back, never stopping to think of the consequences. Lansing, he just looked like hell when he left."

Calling up to the penthouse, he asked Stan if Sam had been taken care of. "Yeah, old Doc Dooley, he gave her a sedative. I had one of the guards take her to a safe house."

"We have to deal with this mess. Do we know how she ended up on the hook for the death of Diego Alcazar?"

"Sonny set it up. This has Max's fingerprints all over it." Said his intell guy. "That is where it gets ugly. Someone hacked in to the police data base, changed some of evidence so that she is the only one who could be convicted of killing the kid."

"We need to find this person." He snapped.

"I know his name online; I am trying to track the Jackal down. I should tell you, he is good, but there are major weaknesses in his programming. He can be traced through his Internet trail."

"Track him down and send two of our people to pick him up. I want Sam out of my hair by the end of the month." He snapped.

"Oh, that won't be an issue, Jason. She is almost catatonic. We uh, I have deciphered a few of her remarks, the stuff that sounded like gibberish. You are going to have to hear the recorder when I finally get it cleared up." Said a chucking Stan as he dreamed of the day he could let the other guards hear it. It was classic stuff, Sam going over the edge.

While Jason went to investigate things, Lorenzo Alcazar was consoling Skye after she had woken up in the middle of the night after yet another dream in which their child had survived.

Vowing to make Sam pay for her words, words that were haunting Skye, he checked in on his hacker only to get his annoying answering machine message. "Kid, you had better be stone cold sober when I show up tomorrow. I want the whole world to come down on that McCall woman and no more excuses."

Maxie heard the message from where she was on the sofa. She had woken up a few minutes earlier to find herself in a room that looked straight out of some old movie.

Sitting up, she looked around, seeing all the flowers, the books, the bowls of grapes, even a harp, she was a bit worried until she saw the one thing that didn't belong. A lap top computer sitting open from which the sound of Lorenzo Alcazar's voice had come.

"My goddess has awakened." announced the cheerful looking but fashionably challenged geek as he backed his way into the room. "For you my love, breakfast."

Taking in the tray with what looked like eggs cut in the shape of hearts, toast as well, then the bacon which he had used to write her name, Maxie glared at the kid. "What no rose in a vase?"

Looking crestfallen, the geek said "Oh... I forgot it. I will be right back."

"No, no, look. Spumoni, I am not interested in you, kidnapping me is not going to change that." she said cringing in remembrance of his poetry recitation at the gala while wearing a power blue tuxedo.

"But goddess, the tests all prove that you are meant to be my soul mate, the yin to my yang, the peanut butter to my jelly, the star that my satellite is to revolve around." he said beaming at her.

"Tis why I arranged all this, why I went to work for Evil Al in spite of my abiding attraction to another which I had overcome to worship in awe of your wondrous beauty."

Maxie had had enough, for months now, this little creep had been stalking her, ruining her only date since Jesse had died with his computer antics, he had messed with her credit, had almost gotten her arrested when the credit card company had been convinced she had done something to make her bills go away. This, this was the last straw.

He had grabbed her, kidnapped her and she had... oh my god, Georgie. She had been kidnapped and poor Georgie who had been drunk was now alone, more than likely preyed upon by a man who would take advantage of her weak state.

Looking at her watch, shocked to figure out she had lost eight hours, and furious to know that thanks to the cretin in front of her, Georgie had most likely done something she would regret this morning, Maxie advanced on the geek.

When he nervously set the breakfast tray down, she grabbed his arm, brought it behind his back and up as far as she could. Listening to his yelp of pain felt good even as she bent it back more.

"Now unless you want me to break this off, you had better tell me where we are and how I can get out of here, you degenerate creep."

"But goddess..." Maxie let go of his arm reached out, lifted the computer in front of her, brought it down on his head and knocked the freak out. Getting to the door to find it was unlocked, she ran as fast as she could.

Happy to find she was down near the docks, not that far from someplace she knew, she hurried to the Towers with plans to call her father and get the annoyance arrested.

Hearing her name being called, she turned to see Milo, one of Sonny's guards coming off the elevator. "Hi, can you give me a lift home, please, Milo."

"Uh, sure but first I have to bring in the rest of Stan's groceries." he said then asked her if she was okay, that she looked a bit rumpled.

"Wait, is Stan here?" she asked her mind on how the other man was an electronics specialist. "Can I talk to him?"

"He is at Morgan's place. I guess it is fine if you go up." he said.

Maxie hurried to the elevator, then when she arrived on the correct floor, didn't even wait to be told to enter, she just rushed in shouting Stan's name.

Coming out of the kitchen, he saw the petite blond who was acting distraught and said "Maxie is everything okay?"

"No, I was kidnapped by some geek who is working for Lorenzo Alcazar. Here." she said shoving the laptop at him. "Do me a favor, when Jason is done with him, have him shoot him, repeatedly, then draw and quarter the jerk."

"Maxie, what is this?" he asked looking at the laptop with hair and blood in the seams.

"Oh, that is Spumoni's computer. He is some sort of computer genius; at least that is what he is always telling me. He calls him self some sort of animal nickname. Jaguar, I think."

Stan couldn't believe the ease of this. "Wait, could it be the Jackal?"

"I don't know and don't care. I just want the little freak to leave me alone." she growled as she went to the door and then turned. "Do me a favor, if my dad were to ask, you never saw me. I am so dead, I lost a drunken Georgie last night."

Worried about his secret partner, Stan tensed then said "What do you mean you lost your sister?"

"She was in Jake's; she had had a couple of shots, was playing pool. I went to the ladies room, was coming back to drive her home when I was grabbed." she admitted shamefaced.

Stan pulled out his phone, dialing speed dial four and was glad to hear a familiar voice. "Are you okay?"

Georgie winced at the aches and pains she was suffering from even as she said "Yes, how did you know something was up?"

"Maxie, she is here with me, worried about you." he said taking a deep sigh of relief. "Where are you?"

"Robin's apartment building." she said as truthfully as she could. Feeling lips on the small of her back, she said "Tell my sister I want to know why she left me last night and that it had better be good that I will see her at Kelly's at one."

Georgie hit end, then was about to call her dad when she was told to hang up the phone. With a smile, she did as ordered then said "Anything else Master?"

John flipped her onto her back and slid between her legs to say "Nothing at this time. Damn, if I had known how last night was going to end..."

"Yes?" she asked with one eyebrow arches like she had seen Elizabeth do a thousand times while she had been observing her for scientific purposes.

"I would have bought food for the kitchen." he said burying his head between her breasts. Groaning he said "There is nothing here to eat except you."

John felt Georgie's hips twitch in response to his words and memories of the night before, but still didn't move. "I never want this day to end. Run away with me."

"I can't. I have responsibilities." she said including a boyfriend she needed to confront, make that ex-boyfriend. She had been so worried about protecting him from Lulu, she had been blindsided by who he had ended up sleeping with. The very idea of it triggered her gag reflex.

"I know." he said quietly. "Georgie..."

"What is it?" she asked, looking into his eyes which were clearly trouble.

"I wish... I guess what I am trying to say is that... I wish things could be different. That my life was different, that you weren't the wonderful person you are."

Swallowing hard, she said "I wish you would tell me what is going on, John. What is the big secret, what has you so scared?"

"I can't say." he replied resting his head face down in the pillow next to her head. Since the very first day he had seen her at Vista Point he had been attracted to her.

Then he had talked to her at the car parts store. His error of thinking she was still in high school had kept him from falling for her; at least that was what he had told himself. Then he had seen her out one day, found out the truth... but had grudgingly decided that she was still too young, too inexperienced.

That had ended the night before when he had seen her at Jake's, then had talked to her at the pool tables. He jumped to a different conclusion from something she had said...

The Night Before at Jakes...

_Morgan had gone to get another beer and John wasn't in too much of a hurry to head home so in spite of the danger, he stayed. Sitting there watching as his favorite past time tossed back yet another shot of tequila then grimaced before biting the lemon, all he could do Is watch in longing._

_He never saw one of his father's men, watching him, watching Morgan while they watched the table full of women. When the very lovely ladies seemed to be breaking into smaller groups, John saw Morgan disappear out the back door following the incredibly beautiful nurse._

_John however was watching waiting for a chance to at least say hello to Georgie. Finally she had wandered over to one of the pool tables and thanks to the drinks she had had her cue stick wasn't even close to hitting the balls. "Want some lessons?"_

_Georgie turned, looking at him, her inhibitions down as her scan traveled down from his eyes, to his chest clearly defined in his forest green t-shirt, then past his flat stomach and finally skimming his waist down to his long legs, then back up, stopping at the bulge that was now growing in spite of his best efforts._

_Resting her hand on the pool stick, she said "Depends on what kind of lessons you are offering. You any good with a stick?"_

"_Depends." he said amused at this side of Georgie._

_Sitting the cue stick on the felt, she crossed the half a foot to where he was standing and said "On what?"_

"_Which stick you are talking about." he replied, never taking his eyes off of hers. "That thin piece of ash you were holding, fair to middling."_

"_And the other stick?" she asked bluffing her way through new territory. "Are you any good with the thicker one I certainly hope is thicker?"_

_Resting her hands on his chest, she moved in to whisper, "Because I really wouldn't mind a few lessons, but I would need a master, otherwise, well I have discovered that solo lessons are fun too and less messy."_

_John moaned as Georgie's hand traveled down his stomach, past his belt and skimmed against his straining cock before reaching his upper thigh and squeezing. "Well, are you...?"_

"_Am I?" His brains were now scrambled as he felt her using her thumb and pinkie nails to travel back up the length of him as her hand cupped him._

"_I don't know if you are, I guess we can always do a test, maybe find out where you rank." Georgie's good girl part of her brain was screaming for her to stop, the part that was keeping secrets was telling her to go for it, to find out what was making her act so erratic when around this very hot guy._

_John reminded himself that she had a boyfriend, that he had no business even thinking about getting involved with this girl, that it wouldn't end well, but looking around, hoping for a reason not to go through with this, he found nothing._

_Georgie's friends had left, Morgan was gone, there was no one there who would know if he were to take Georgie to his place, to finally claim what he so badly wanted to make his even if it was only for one night._

"_Come with me?" he asked holding out his hand._

"_I would love to." she said then picking up her purse, looked around to make sure that her sister had already left. "Only problem, it looks like my sister took my car."_

"_That's fine, I would love to give you a ride." he replied. In the front seat of the 'Cudda, he reached out and said "It will only be a few minutes. I have an apartment here in town."_

_Arriving at the garage entrance, he parked, then was about to help her get out when she did so on her own. Crossing over to the elevator, he pressed the button then looked around as he pulled her against him and stole a kiss. "To keep you warm."_

"_Trust me, there is no chance of meeting getting cold." she said with a smirk as he got her into his apartment. She had noticed that it was the same building that Robin lived in and this would be convenient for later when she left._

_Now that he had her in his place, John felt awkward, unsure but that quickly ended when he happened to look at Georgie and see her trembling hands. Suddenly the game changed. "Georgie, can we sit and talk for a few minutes."_

_When she blushed and said yes, he sat down next to her and reached for her hands. "In spite of your rather erotic vocabulary, that boyfriend of yours, he and you,,, he was your only lover, wasn't he?"_

"I-I... yes." she said stuttering a bit. "But-" she almost told him she had done a lot of research, that she had an encyclopedia's worth of knowledge about sex and it's many, many variations.

"_Do you want to stay, because if you do... I guarantee by morning that will have changed. Make sure that this is what you want, that I am the one you want to be here with." he said gently. "I am attracted to you, that has to be rather obvious, but if this isn't what you want or you change your mind, please, tell me. I would never push you further than you let me go."_

_Flushing she said "I want you; I wouldn't have hit on you like that, if I didn't."_

"_There is a huge difference in mentally going where we will and actually physically having sex, Georgie." he said as gently as he could. "Just promise me, if you change your mind tell me, I won't be angry."_

_Standing up, she disentangled her hand from his then said "John, I won't be changing my mind."_

_Mentally reminding himself how young she was, he stood then holding her hand, walked into his bedroom. Bending his head to kiss her, he felt her sigh and deepened the kiss, claiming her lips, as each mind blowing kiss dragged her under his spell. _

"_Georgie, talk to me." he whispered, "Tell me what you want. Tell me what you want us to do."_

"_I-I, I want it all." she said blushing a bit as he reached down had slowly unbuttoned her shirt before easing it off her shoulders and then tossing it on his dresser. "Take yours off too."_

_Without another word, John yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it next to Georgie's. "What now?"_

_Georgie reached behind and unclasped her bra, then shrugging her shoulders, removed it and added it to the pile of clothes. _

_With one step, John moved closer, as he dropped several light kisses on her lips then ran his hands down her arms as he removed them from hiding her breasts. Without pausing he leaned down closed his mouth around the tip. _

_Teasing, tormenting her by sucking gently then nipping at first one then the other. _

_When he heard her cry out, he lifted her onto the chest in front of him so that he could have better access. Feasting as she moaned out loud then came unexpectedly; he could see her shock at what had just been done to her. _

_When she moaned then wrapped her legs tightly around him, pressing her heat against his hardness, John tore his mouth away then lifted her, carrying her to the bed laying her across the middle. _

_She saw the heat in his eyes, and felt an answering response deep in her core. Finally understanding that she would not be faking anything, that she would truly feel what had everyone else so excited about, Georgie could only lie back as he lifted her to remove her jeans. "Georgie, are you sure?"_

"_Y-e-s." the word was drawn out of her as she kicked off the flats she still had on; shivering as she noticed her small thongs had come off too. At first she covered herself with her hand, then seeing his eyes on her; she slowly removed it, letting him see her, all of her. "I -, would you remove your jeans too?"_

_Lowering his head as he got rid of his jeans, then his boxers, he kicked off his shoes then shucked them off completely. "Anything else?"_

"_C-can, can I touch you." she asked. Instead of saying yes or no, John took her hand guided it back down to the spot she had been tormenting earlier. When she repeated the movement, he could only grit his teeth to keep from pushing things too fast on his inexperienced lover. _

_Laying down and moving her so that she was straddling him, John sat still waiting, hoping she would take control._

_Georgie took a deep breath then kissed him like she had read about letting her tongue trail along his lower lip, before easing inside. Feeling a bit more comfortable a few minutes later to try what she had read about, Georgie kissed her way down his neck across his flat chest and then paused. _

"_It's okay, I promise I enjoy that as much as you do." he said then tensed as she flicked her tongue against his erect nipple before pulling it between her pursed lips. When she tugged, she felt him lift up into her and decided to see what would happen if she were to nip at him like he had her. _

_Tugging at her hair, he felt her stopping then tensing even as she asked if she did something wrong. "No, nothing but I want us to last all night and that, that is going to bring us to a happy ending way too soon."_

"_Can I ask something?" she said sitting back up so she could look him in the eyes. "I uh, would you teach me something?"_

"_Anything." he promised, when he heard what she said he almost stuttered himself as he agreed. Georgie moved off of the top and lay down beside of him. _

"_Please..." she asked. John watched as she stroked him, teased him with her hands, then found himself holding his breath as her head lowered, and then he felt the warmth of her mouth then her lips encircling the tip of his cock._

"_Georgie-" When he felt her take more of him inside her, John strained against the need to explode right there in then. Fighting his urges, he left her explore as promised even though it was killing him. _

_When she took him in and began to move back and forth, he put a stop to her movements. "Georgie, please..."_

"_Did I do something wrong?" she asked, worried that in her inexperience she had hurt him. _

"_If it was any more right, you would be in no doubt of how much joy I found in what you were doing." he said with a slight laugh. Johnny lifted her, lying her back down next to him. _

"_You, you are a marvel, a dream." he said a he ran his hand down her body, caressing her, making sure she was still willing before moving closer. As John kissed his way down her chest, his hands moved south, teasing tormenting as he readied her for him. For Georgie, the fingers that were gently enacting the carnal acts she hoped to experience shook her when she felt him add a second finger._

_She had read about the why, had even wrote about it, but knowing he was easing her body to soon accept something larger than two of his long fingers was leaving her aching with desire._

_Georgie felt John's hand move to her neck as he eased her onto her back. She could feel him against her, his heaviness pressed against her deep aching core._

"_Georgie..." she could see the question in his eyes, and just smiled and reached up to run her hands through his hair. With her legs on either side of his, John bent down to kiss her lips, to ease her into what would come next. _

_Reaching for the condom he had placed on his bed. Tearing it open, he rolled it on, knowing he had to protect her, the ingrained habit almost forgotten in his need and want._

_Her eyes traveled down, watching as he slid on the condom, her mind grateful even as some part of her felt a sense of disappointment. _

_Lifting himself, watching her, he pushed into her, just enough to feel her tightness. When he felt her relax, John eased in and back, then rocked forward going deeper and deeper each time. Georgie moaned, wrapping her legs, tightly around him, almost fighting against his outward movement._

_John grabbed her legs, pinned them open, then withdrew completely as he tried to slow down, to make sure she knew this was more than sex, that it was them finally months after near misses, after barely finding the courage to talk, that it was not just two bodies writhing around on a flat surface_

.

_When he felt her hips lifting, he said "We have to slow down."_

_Her eyes shook him as they widened and she then said "But this is just the first round."_

_Gripping her thighs, he said "If that is how you want this to be, fine, but next round we are doing this my way."_

_With that, he thrust in deep, laying claim to her. Slowly pulling out, he thrust forward returning to her, "Oh… oh, John… that… it's ..."_

"_Yes, it is, we are perfect together." he said kissing her, then working his way down her throat, until he could latch onto her nipple taking pleasure in her loss of control as she started to pant, to beg for release._

_Georgie's back arched, her legs were soon wrapped around him again, as she lifted herself into his thrusts. He began to thrust deeper and harder as the tautness of her body showed she was about come. Reaching down, he gently stroked her, once, twice, a third time._

_He could feel Georgie fighting it, almost as if she were scared of what would happen. "Georgie, let go, I promise I will catch you, I won't let anything happen, just take the pleasure."_

"_I-I don't know how." she said almost in tears. "I have never been here before it's never happened like this."_

"_Just trust me." he said, trying to reassure her as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, "Just trust me."_

_The words did what the gentle touched couldn't as she came, coming apart in his arms. Her body convulsing around him as she cried out his name, John soon joined her as he thrust one final time before he buried his head in her shoulder. _

_John reluctantly moved out of her, knowing he had to get rid of the condom, even as his body didn't want to move. Returning as quickly he could, he laid back down next to her, his hand traveling down her soft skin. _

_Pulling Georgie over him, soon that her legs were on either side of his, he pulled her into another kiss._

"_You are like a drug." he told her as he moved on to show her how much fun there was to be had with her on top._

Coming back to earth, John held onto Georgie then sighed as he looked at his watch. He didn't want his father's goons tracking him down while he was with Georgie, so he kissed her, then slipped out of bed and quietly went to shower and dress.

Returning, he found her at the window and asked "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I was just thinking that I am going to have a long day today. I have to meet Maxie for lunch, have a long delayed conversation with Dillon, then I have a meeting I can't avoid." She said with a sigh, thinking on her secrets. Now she had another one and she didn't like that. Maybe it was time to at least admit her first secret.

Elizabeth woke up and went to knock on Emily's door knowing her best friend had had more than a few shots the night before. Smirking as she held the cup of coffee, she knocked again.

Hearing the slight sound of footsteps, she was checking to see if the coffee was still hot when the door was finally opened. Since her eyes were down, she first saw the bare feet of someone that clearly wasn't Emily.

Traveling up, she saw the towel, then the chest, thinking to herself that at least Emily hadn't taken home some pity date when her eyes widen and she started to choke.

"S-steven, what are you doing in Emily's apartment?" she snarled at her brother. "And wearing nothing but a towel? Where are you clothes, seriously, I mean, she was nice enough to take you in when I wasn't home, but to answer the door…"

"Steven, come back to the shower…" Emily's voice trailed off as she saw the astounded face of her best friend who looked like she had been hit with a baseball bat.

"Elizabeth,Iswear,Icanexplain,it'snotwhatitlookslike." She said her voice rising about twenty decibels.

Elizabeth at first was going to just back away without saying a word, when the symmetry of things hit her. She had spent the last evening with Jason, and Emily had apparently done the same with her own brother.

Seeing the fear in Emily's eyes and the worry in Steven's she hid her need to smile and hoped her eyes didn't show her amusement as she said "Really, you expect me to believe that, Emily Bowen Quartermaine."

"I-I…" Emily was afraid she was about to lose her best friend, she had always known that she was partly responsible for Elizabeth's and Jason's problems out of her own discomfort over her friend being involved with her brother and here she had done the exact same thing.

When Steven started to talk, Elizabeth pretended to scowl then said "So it's either that you took advantage of my brother who was staying because I didn't come home right away or my brother took advantage of my best friend who had had too much to drink."

"NO! No, it wasn't anything like that…" said Emily her face turning white at the glare on Elizabeth's face. "It was… er… uh, I… swear…"

Suddenly unable to hold in her laughter any longer, Elizabeth sat the coffee mug down and fell onto the sofa her chuckles loud in the silence. "You should see the looks on your faces. It's hilarious. I mean… wait. Steven, what are you doing here?"

"Can I get dressed before I get the third degree." He asked, flushing as his sister looked at him then said "Why bother, I am sure that Emily has seen you in less."

"Elizabeth!" shrieked her best friend as she ran into her bedroom then came back out and pointing at the coffee asked if it was for her.

"Yes, I came over there to talk, to tell you about some developments, but you stole my thunder." She said pouting.

Emily hurried towards her room, hoping against hope that Elizabeth hadn't done anything foolish like take back Lucky. In the bedroom, she was heading for her closet when she saw Steven pulling jeans out of his locker wearing nothing but his briefs. "I wish I could say just leave them off."

Acting scandalized, Steven walked over to where Emily was only wearing a towel, undid it, then taking a peek said "Emily, I have to go to my grandmothers, I really don't think the bridge club would be too happy if I were to be only wearing my underwear."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that Steven." She said with one last leer before getting dressed. Returning to the living room, she saw Elizabeth was still giggling a bit and said "It's not that funny."

"You have no idea." She said darkly then with a smirk waited until Emily took another sip of her coffee then said "See, while you were having your way with my brother, I was doing the same with yours."

"NO WAY!" said the scandalized but hopeful voice in the doorway. Turning to where Georgie Jones was standing, Elizabeth waited because it was clear she wasn't done speaking. "Darn it, Elizabeth. You just cost me a hundred bucks."

"Who are you and why were you betting on my sister having sex with Jason Morgan?" asked the angry man from the doorway of the bedroom.

Georgie couldn't resist taking a good look at the man wearing just jeans. Walking over to where he was standing she said "Emily, nice puppy you brought home with you. Hi, I am Georgie Jones, you must be Steven. As for the bet, don't worry it was only between my sister and I."

"Maxie won?" asked Emily.

Turning to the other women, she said "Yes, she had this year, I didn't have them giving in until next year. We are also betting on Patrick and Robin. You, you were supposed to end up with Nik according to Maxie, I said it would be someone new. At least I won that one."

"Georgie…" Elizabeth could see the slight mark on the younger girls neck as she sat down next to her. "Uh, are those the same clothes you were wearing last night?"

Flushing she said "Yes, and Emily, could you please not say anything. I need to talk to Dillon first but… that bad boy question, yeah, he is one. I just… let's just say that my dad is going to have a heart attack."

"Wait, the guy I saw talking to Jason last night?" asked Emily. When Georgie nodded yes, she said "Oh my god, Georgie. He won't be the only one. Do you know who your friend is?"

"His name is John and I know he is connected." She said with a slight frown.

"Yeah, connected is a good word for it. I heard about your pal John once when Sonny was talking to his guards. He is the heir to the Zachara family." She said her voice sounding strange.

Hearing Steven swear, Georgie frowned at the man. "I think you should know. Your friend, John Zachara is known as the dark prince. He is the only son of Anthony Zachara, a man more insane than sane. He makes Sonny look like a cuddly teddy bear."

Georgie's hands were shaking as she starred at the two women, then at John before saying. "Mac is going to kill me, isn't he?"

Elizabeth nodded sympathetically then said. "I think we need a GNO meeting, without the drinks because clearly we are both in deep shit."

"Why?" asked Emily frowning.

"Let's see, Sam is on the run, Jason has to straighten that out since she is trying to drag him down into her mess. Ric and Lucky saw Jason and me on the sofa in the middle of making love. Georgie, your dad was there too."

Snickering at that one, she said "Wow, you also have Carly, Sonny and all the rest of the mess that surrounds Jason too."

The two women looked at one another then at Steven and Emily, things were quiet for a moment, then Emily said "Well we can top that, we forgot to use birth control."

"Jason and I didn't either." Admitted Elizabeth.

Smirking Georgie said "Well at least I don't have that hanging over my head, we used Enduros, so besides practicing safe sex, we helped increase the profits of ELQ."

"Georgie, on behalf of my grandfather, thank you." Said Emily with a straight face. "But before we do that, there is something you need to know. I saw Dillon, with Lulu. So don't feel guilty about John."

"Considering I saw him with Courtney Matthews, yeah, I won't." she said disgusted. There was the sound of eeewwws then Emily said "Wait, I saw her with Lucky too."

"Okay, now I really need to gag." Said Georgie. As they stood to go their separate ways, Steven and Elizabeth to their grams, Emily to the hospital and Georgie for her meeting with Maxie, they had no idea that things were about to explode.

At a large house on the outskirts of Crimson Point the night before a man was cackling as he told the man on the other end of the phone to take the shot.

The shot was fired, a claret colored spot spread across the sidewalk as a man fell to the ground in the darkness of the night. "Make it look like the kid did it."

Hanging up, he turned to the woman standing there, her red heels the only color in the whole room. "It's taken care of."

"Good, I want Alcazar to be next." With that she walked away. Stopping at the empty bedroom next to her, she scowled when she saw that John wasn't home yet.

She didn't know which whore he was with, but she soon would and that was one woman who wouldn't see daylight again after she found out who she was.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(What a Tangled Web we Weave when we first set out to Deceive.)

Elizabeth and Steven entered their grandmother's house to see her on her knees with her rear in the air. "How undignified, I can't help thinking that the hospital board might not like to see this picture?" teased Elizabeth while Audrey sat back with a rueful laugh.

"Grams, is everything okay?" asked Steven.

"Yes, its fine. Elizabeth, Cam went down for a nap early because we woke up early. I think half the Port Charles police department raced down our street this morning." she said annoyed. "Just wait until I see Mac Scorpio, I intend to give him a piece of my mind."

Now that was a discussion Elizabeth could imagine. Grams lecturing him about police car lights and sirens and his shutting her up by telling what he had walked in on. "Grams, I am sure that it was for a good reason."

"It wasn't." she said glaring. "They stopped down at old batty Mrs. Peabody's. She claimed to see someone dragging a dead body into her house and placing it in her freezer."

In spite of knowing she was going to have to tell her about Jason, Elizabeth's couldn't help laughing at that one. "Did she say why they put it in her freezer?"

"According to that nutty old woman, a painted man did it and offered to let her keep him so she wouldn't starve this winter. Needless to say, the detective who investigated wasn't happy. I do have to ask Mac his name, though. Handsome young devil." she said.

"Grams, isn't he a little young for you?" she asked.

"I wasn't interested for me. Nor you." she said when she saw Elizabeth's annoyed grimace. "I was thinking of Ms. Emily. He was a Latin gent and she has seemed to have a preference for men whose ancestors were from the Mediterranean."

"Oh, her preference have changed, grams. Trust me, now she is into blonds." Elizabeth said with a knowing glance at her brother. "Right Steven?"

Audrey smiled as an idea came to her. Lila and she had once had a discussion about that. She had liked the idea, had in her mind seen Elizabeth with Jason, but that was before he became Jason Morgan. She didn't like thought of danger around her late husband's favored grandchild.

"Grams, you said you needed to talk to me, but before you do, there is something I should tell you." Elizabeth knew she had to tell her, if she didn't Lucky or Ric would blindside her.

"Can you hold that thought, my dear." she said as she went to the kitchen then stopping at the threshold said "Steven would you please reach under the sofa and find the pen I dropped, it was your grandfather's."

Returning with the tea tray and waiting as Elizabeth had gone upstairs to check on her grandson, Audrey took the pen, then said "I was going to give this to you a few years ago, but honestly Steven, I didn't like what I saw. You were resembling your father a bit too much."

"I know." he said quietly. "I went to see Dad. It was awkward, but the three weeks I was there, I was listening to him and not agreeing with what he was saying. Then on the jet home, I was astonished to notice that those had been my opinions before that moment. It's why I took the Memphis job. It was boring, but it gave me time to think about what kind of person I want to be."

As Elizabeth joined them, Audrey reached out for both their hands. "You two, have always held my heart. I think that is why your parents sent Sarah here all those years ago and not Elizabeth. They felt like we favored you, Elizabeth over your sister. Same thing with you Steven. It might have had a grain of truth in it. Elizabeth resembles her grandfather, you Steven, gave us a chance to see what your father was like as a boy."

Looking at both of them, she said "I talked to Sarah about it, telling her why I am about to tell the two of you what I am. She was fine with it, actually laughed and that she had never in spite of what Carolyn had said, felt like I favored the two of you."

"Steven, your grandfather and I have always been so proud of you. It was why I was so worried but I know that while I have been over reacting to Elizabeth's and my fight, that you have been there for her. It is what gave me hope that someday you will move home."

"Elizabeth, my beautiful warmhearted granddaughter." she said with a smile. "I have loved you from the moment we heard Carolyn was pregnant, knew from the moment you were born you were going to be a handful after you peed on your father."

Hearing a snicker, Elizabeth glared at her brother. "I know I haven't told you this often enough, but I am so proud of you. In spite of the many weights trying to hold you back, you have become a wonderful mother, an incredible nurse. But there is one thing that has disappointed me in the past few years."

Seeing Elizabeth's eyes turn cloudy, Audrey said "I regret that you had to give up your art. That was and still should be an important part of you. I hope that someday soon, you find a way to incorporate it back into your life. I am also sorry if I was in anyway responsible for you giving it up."

Swallowing hard, Elizabeth reached over and hugged Audrey. "No, you weren't responsible. I have done a bit of drawing but since having Cam I find I prefer to spend my free time with my son."

"Now as to why I needed to speak to you. Elizabeth, we discussed you moving in here but you said you didn't want to. That you feel like it would be a step backwards. I can understand that. Steven, you said that it was too big for just one person. I get that, trust me I do." she said her mind on when her husband had been alive.

"I have decided to keep it, though. It has been in your grandfather's family for five generations before me, with Cam having lived here, it is now up to eight." she said with a smile. "So, what I am going to do is set up a trust to take care of it, with both of you as signers."

"The cabin will be going to Tom, that came from his Uncle Lee and really it belongs to the Baldwin family, not me." she said. "Now my only remaining issue is my will."

"Grams, are you sick?" asked a fearful Elizabeth.

"Mercy heavens, no." she said appalled at the idea and the fear in Elizabeth's face. "Nothing like that. Edna Chandler died rather unexpectedly recently and her family had no idea of her last wishes and I would never want that. That is why I am making sure you know these things."

Seeing them relax, she said "Edna died water skiing in Cancun with her lover who was twenty years younger, I assure you I have no intentions of doing anything like that."

Steven had an image of Audrey with someone younger and that started his laughter only for his sister to pinch him. "G-grams, I am sorry."

Glaring at him, Audrey then turned to Elizabeth and said "You wanted to speak to me about something, dear."

"Great, Steven gets you angry and now I have to give you some news you aren't going to like." she said annoyed.

"Oh dear, please tell me you aren't going back to Lucky?" she asked exasperated. She had finally seen that Spencer boy for who he was and the idea that Elizabeth might have fallen back in with him, didn't sit well with her.

"NO! Why is that the first thing that people suspect? Emily asked the same thing." snarled Elizabeth. "No, I am not getting back with Lucky and after last night, I think it is safe to say that he knows that, Ric too."

"That young man should have figured it out when you divorced him and threw his alimony check in his face." said Audrey frowning.

"He didn't, he has been hanging around a bit, which led to what I have to tell you." she said "The last year, since Jason's memory has come back, we have been talking a bit, grams."

Not liking where this was going but keeping her promise to Elizabeth Audrey just listened. "The virus was a bit of a wake up call for me, Grams. Then over the last few months, we have been talking more. Partly because of what is going on with Emily and partly because we were finally facing that things between us are still there. I don't know where this is going, Grams. I know that it is more than likely not a good idea, but at the same time, Grams, for both of us there are regrets at how we had a chance and never took it."

"Elizabeth, are you sure. That man hurt you worse than any other person ever has and considering the pain in your past, that is saying something." she said worried.

"I know. Jason and I have a lot more to talk about, some things that are going to raise the roof as we argue about them." she said with a sigh. "Yet, grams. Grams, last night we were at Jake's, like you know."

"I still don't get why you ladies can't unwind at someplace like the Metrocourt."

"Why would they go there, with drinks that expensive, all she would be doing is paying for the privilege of having Carly yapping in their faces."

"Oh dear, I forgot about that one." said Audrey.

"Grams, we like Jake's." she said. "As I was leaving, Jason and I talked. I wouldn't be telling you the next part but both Lucky and Ric saw us."

"Is Lucky stalking you again?" fumed Audrey only to hear Elizabeth laugh.

"No, no nothing like that. That horrid Sam McCall escaped from police custody yesterday. Now, I don't know if you are aware but Jason ended things with her in February, she has been stalking him. This arrest in fact was predicated on that." said Elizabeth.

"That guttersnipe sees a rich man who will pay her bills, women like that don't go gently into the night easily." said Audrey.

"Yes, well Jason and I had been talking and we went back to the penthouse so I could see the changes he has made." she said.

"My dear, back in my day, the men asked you back to see their etchings, trust me, he knew exactly what he was doing when he asked you over." said Audrey while both of her grandchildren laughed at the tone she was using.

"Anyhow, one thing led to another and we didn't lock the door." she said blushing then with a stutter. "Ric was convinced I guess that Sam was there. Anyhow Mac Scorpio and Lucky along with two uniformed officers sort of walked in on Jason and I."

Audrey sat there for a second, no words came out then she said "Oh dear. Please tell me you were wearing something at least my dear."

Shaking her head no, certain her grams didn't want to know about the skirt bunched up at her waist or that Jason had still been attached at that moment. "Anyhow, Lucky and Ric both passed out."

That brought laughter. "Yes, well those two men right now are more than likely out for revenge. It is how they deal with embarrassment and anger."

"Oh dear. That isn't good." said Audrey her face flushed at the idea of her poor granddaughter being seen that way. "Maybe I should stay, to help you out, Elizabeth."

"No, no, you go ahead to Arizona, Grams. Besides, they will be after Jason and not me. He made me promise to stay out of it." she said with a heavy sigh. "I agreed unless they try to drag me into things."

"Fine, but if you need me, I want you to promise to call." she said having grave misgivings. "Elizabeth, about Jason. Once a long time ago, Lila and I, well we thought that Jason Quartermaine and you would be a great couple. I am not so sure about Jason Morgan, he has taken one of the other Jason's worst characteristic and ran off making it his life's motto."

"Which one?" asked Steven when he saw Elizabeth seemed confused too.

"He feels the need to fight for those who he sees as weak or who have the whole world against him. What he doesn't see is that the reason the world is against the Corinthos family is that they are truly unpleasant people. I have met a few mobsters in my day and let me tell you. Sonny Corinthos isn't fit to sit at their feet, let along side of them at the table."

"Grams, you know mobsters?" asked Elizabeth in astonishment.

"A long time ago, my dear one of my fellow stewardesses married a man with connections as they called it back then. Serefina fell in love with a bad boy from Miami. They were happy until the day she died. I went down for the funeral."

"Her sons had followed their father's footsteps, except that eventually one joined the priest hood. I remember getting a nice letter from Javier, Sr and her when your grandfather died. In spite of his business interests, Mr. Ruiz was a very honorable man."

Steven hid his shock, the Ruiz family was one of the biggest connected family's in Florida. When he had been with the FBI, he had heard of their rather messy way of doing things, though the way their avoided families and women had always surprised the FBI.

Audrey sighed then said "Serefina's sons were in town recently, I saw the one outside one day. I found a bouquet of his mother's favorite flowers on the porch. The young man looks terrifying with all his tattoos, the scars and the bald head yet he has a softness about his eyes that reminds me of his mother."

Hugging Audrey, Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at Steven as if it say do you believe what you are hearing. "Grams, why did you never tell me this before?"

"I have always been afraid that you would be so hurt in that world, it is isolating and Mr. Morgan's friends, well they aren't going to be very accepting my dear. At least Mr. Corinthos and Carly."

"Grams, I am not sure where this is going to lead, but I promise you. I will still be the same person. I have Emily and the rest of the girls in my life. I have no intention of walking away from my career and then there is Cameron. I won't do anything that would create problems for my son."

"I know that my dear." she said then looking at the clock said "Oh no, I had better head over to Gail's. Today is the Bridge tourney finals and we have to work on our strategy."

Going upstairs, Elizabeth gently woke up Cam and talked to him as she got him ready. "So what do you say, shall we go to to the park, maybe get an ice cream cone?"

"You know, using your son as an excuse to buy an ice cream cone isn't very well done, Elizabeth." said Steven who said "Can you go from the hospital entrance, I sort of need a ride."

"First you insult me, now you want a ride?" she asked in mocked disgust. "Oh okay but you have to ride in back with Cameron."

"Fine, he is better company anyhow." smarted off Steven who said "When is your new car arriving anyhow?"

With a grin, Elizabeth said "Two more days. I can't believe I managed to save up the money, then buy it outright. The only thing was they didn't have the color I wanted so I ended up with a color they are calling woodland but to me it is more like dark olive."

Emily hurried into the locker room where she saw Robin frowning at Patrick. "What is it with the two of you? I thought you were finished fighting."

"We aren't fighting." said Dr. Drake. "More like arguing over protocol regarding a patient."

"Fine, fine. Robin, we are having an emergency meeting tonight of the GNO girls and since it is for all of us, you need to be there. There have been some major developments." she said then asked her to let Lainey and Kelly know.

The man in the ornate office waited for the call, it was almost one o'clock and no one had found the body. How was that possible?

"Trevor what are you doing sitting in my father's chair. Get your lard ass out of it." said Claudia hissing as she came into the room. When the other man ignored her, she took out her gun, then threatened to shot him.

"Now, you wouldn't do that now, would you Claudia." he drawled.

"She might not, but I sure as hell would." snarled the dark haired man as he came into the room.

"Where were you last night?" asked Claudia plaintively. "I was looking for you."

Anthony stayed silent, observing from the back of the room, well aware of his daughter's rather unhealthy interest in her brother. "Doing what I told him to do, why don't you try that some time daughter dearest."

"Daddy." she said with a sneer as she sat down on the piano bench and slipped into one of her favorite fantasies. Anthony walked over, grabbed her arm and yanked her up, disgusted with her as he dragged her to the wing backed chair and pushed her into it.

"We sit on the proper furniture and Lansing get the hell out from behind my desk." spat out the man. Trevor moved, counting the days until he was the one in charge.

"Certainly Anthony, you seem to be feeling better." he said wishing it weren't so.

"Yes, amazing isn't it." said the older man as he looked at his daughter who was looking at her brother, then at his duplicitous attorney and finally at his petulant son. John didn't get it, he was heir, that meant he had to be molded, trained to run the business.

Anthony hadn't created this large of an empire to see it go to a manipulative bastard like Lansing or his daughter who was just like her mother. No, he was going to ensure that his son took over and he had been given the perfect weapon by one of his people.

"Lansing, I want you to attend a meeting with the families in the city, offer up my daughter in marriage." he told the attorney. When the man just sat there, he snarled loudly. "Now, get to it."

Gritting his teeth, at least happy he would be able to see his mistress, Trevor left for New York like Anthony wanted. Looking at his daughter he said "Chose wisely because if you don't. I have made arrangements with Javier for you to be married to Manny."

"There is no way you can force me to marry that idiot." said Claudia with a smirk. Manny was going to end up dead, she had arranged it herself, well with Trevor's help.

Looking at his daughter, he said "One of the New York family's, or Manny. No more screwing around with people like Corinthos, no more fucking both Trevor and his son. You are my daughter and if you don't like my rules go running back to your Uncle Rudy and the clowns he has masquerading as waiters."

"I won't leave poor Johnny with you." she said starting to head over to where John was standing against the fireplace. Rubbing his arm, she laid her head on his shoulders and said "Johnny is all that I have left."

"Claudia your ass had better be in that chair or I will have my men take you to the airport." snapped the old man. "And John, stop indulging your sister, you have no idea what she has been up to. Stop encouraging her.

"Why? She wants the business, I don't." he snapped. "It is as simple as that."

"Claudia, leave us." ordered her father. The Italian woman resisted but Anthony signaled some of his people and had them drag her out. "Sit down, now."

John sat then said "What is your problem?"

"Your sister is sick. You are feeding into her delusions. And there is something you need to see."

Turning to look at the man across the desk he saw him tossing pictures on it. "I don't know who she is, but it is clear she means something to you. Do you really want to expose her to Claudia."

Turning white, John lifted the one of them of them at the pool table, then said "What do you want?"

"That man, in the other pictures, it's Morgan right?" asked Anthony. "I want you to learn from him. Then when the time is right, you take over for me. In the meantime, I will deal with Trevor."

"Cut ties with her right now, John. End it." ordered the man. "

"Fine, but if anything happens to her as a result of our family, all bets are off. Do you understand me." he said coldly. Lifting his phone, he sent a text and then said to his father. "I want to talk to Morgan, then head out to our Casino."

Nodding, Anthony let him leave knowing that what he had done had been for the best of reasons.

Georgie meanwhile had confronted Dillon. After a long talk she got that he had been trying to find a way to end things, just like she had been. Feeling a bit better she did at least point out that sleeping with both Courtney and Lulu wasn't the way to go about it.

"Especially since Courtney is sleeping with Lucky." she tossed out as she left the blond regretting the wasted time.

Meeting up with Maxie, she listened to her sister's dramatic story about the computer geek. "I think his name is Spinelli."

"Spinelli, Spumoni, who cares." she said shrugging. "Either way he is a pest. Now what happened to you."

"Down by the docks, not here." she said then when they were on the bench she told Maxie about John and the night before.

"Five times, wow, I bet you are feeling sore this morning." said Maxie slightly enviously. "Was he any good?"

Georgie privately acknowledged that she was more aware of certain parts of her body. Johnny Had left a most delicious impression from the night before, her mind couldn't help thinking that yes he had been masterful but she just said "yes."

Across town, Stan had doubled checked on Milo for Jason, listening to his feed, he heard him telling Sonny that he had brought Stan food, that the techie was looking into Sam's arrest.

The Cuban waited until Milo had left, then once again tried to reach Max who had been doing surveillance on Lorenzo Alcazar but so far, nothing had been reported. Impatient, he considered a frontal assault by visiting the South American but was concerned that might tip his hand.

Hearing a knock on the door, then Marco let in the hot tempered woman he had been sleeping with. "Something you need to tell me?"

"Nothing." Claudia said as she stripped and soon had him busy on the sofa. When they were finished, she was curling up, when Sonny stood and walked to the window with a glass of clear liquid.

"Get dressed." he said then turned around to watch as she obeyed. "I have no use for manipulative women, Ms. Zachara, nor for liars. Thanks for the tumble, but now I would like you to get the hell out. Tell Trevor and or Ric it isn't going to work, not this time."

Claudia saw his eyes, then the cunning buried deep within and said "I wasn't playing you."

"You still are trying but it won't work. Take a message back to your lawyer, I am not biting." with that Sonny signaled for a guard and had her taken out of his house. Deciding to spend some time with his sons, Sonny drove to where Carly was staying to pick them up.

Grateful the boys were going with her ex, Carly hurried to the hotel for the meeting that Jax had arranged between them and a high rolling coming into town.

John meanwhile made arrangements to protect Georgie then went to talk to his father's people. "I want to see all footage from last night"

Grimacing, he went to his meeting with Morgan who quickly agreed to do what he needed.

"John, are you sure about this?" he asked worried about the safety of the young girl.

"My father already knows about her, Claudia will be searching, just like she is for something on your friend Elizabeth. The safest way to protect her is to be there, to know what is going on in her life." Johnny went over his plan.

"What about this marriage, will you father really force Claudia into marriage?" he asked not so sure how he felt about that in spite of what he had heard about the woman.

"Yeah, but I am more concerned about who they killed." he said quietly. "Are any of your people missing?"

"No, not that I know of." Said Jason as they separated. Making a few calls, he grimaced when he heard that no one had seen Alcazar's second in command. Hurrying out to see Sonny, Jason waited until the guards had left before leading his boss where he wanted them to go.

"While you are dealing with Sam, I will take care of that." said the man confidently. "Have you heard from her, yet?"

"No, she escaped last night and no one has seen her since. The guards said they saw her coming into the Towers but she never made it to my place. Ric and the cops had a search warrant but thanks to Elizabeth warning me about Ric's bugs we were able to distract them."

Sonny hid his frown at that name, he didn't like where this was going. He still found himself feeling guilty for his part in Elizabeth and Jason ending but at the same time he knew she was not someone who could live in their world. She was simply too kind of a person to survive. "Jason, just don't led her on, Elizabeth doesn't deserve that."

"I have no intention of letting Elizabeth get hurt." In fact as soon as Sam was taken care of, Jason had every intention of making sure that Sonny and Carly learned to stay out of his personal life and that he was not going to lose Elizabeth again, no matter what.

Sonny watched him leave, then went to deal with making sure that there was no way to connect them to the mess. Hearing the report he then called Max. Getting his voice mail, Sonny frowned and called Milo who said his brother had left a message.

"He said he was chasing down a lead regarding what is going on with the Zacharas."

Stan took a deep breath of relief as his bug picked up Milo passing on the message like they wanted. Checking the time, then calling the men Jason had on Sam, he called his boss. "The geek, we have him. Do you want to have the men pick him up."

"Where is he?" Jason asked while watching from a distance as Elizabeth joked around with his sister and Maxie Jones who was telling them something. Grimacing at the answer he said "Why did he run, did he know..."

Hearing the story about Maxie and the geek, he said "Where do you think he will flee to?"

"I have no idea, I will keep looking but if we can get the police to rerun the evidence, I took care of the program he wrote that directed them towards Sam." said Stan. "Uh, Jason, you should know, Sam is now muttering threats against Carly for some reason."

"Up the guards for the boys and her." he replied then hanging up went over to the apartment building. Frowning to find that Emily wasn't home, he was debating the risk of knocking on Elizabeth's door when a delivery man came and knocked on the door.

Out of sight, Jason listened as her brother paid for the pizza while on the phone to someone. "Yes, I am babysitting so it will have to be tomorrow Drake."

Curious as to where Elizabeth was, Jason drove towards GH. Crossing the parking lot, he saw Sonny's sister arguing with a red head. Staying out of her line of sight, he unfortunately eavesdropped as she insulted the other woman.

"You know, Nik warned me about you." said the other woman. "Look, Courtney, I know your whole history. Married to one brother, lusting after the other. Stripping to get his attention after he saved you from being mugged. I know about how you befriended Elizabeth Webber, then lied to her while chasing after the man you knew she was in love with."

"That is none of your business." Snapped the blond annoyed. "Besides, Jason didn't love Elizabeth, he told me so, so there."

"So there? What are we ten?" sneered the Irish woman. "Then lets see, you jumped off a ship, supposedly pregnant. My guess, the old holes in the condom trick to keep your man on a leash."

"He didn't know I was pregnant." she muttered.

"Yeah, I would bet something happened, something ruined your plans. I know about the kidnapping on your wedding day. Let me guess, it was going to go something like this on your honeymoon. Oh honey, it's a miracle, guess what I am pregnant. Look, I know everything, Helena, Nik's grandmother tried to use the report she ran on you to warn me off."

Jason stopped, still out of sight, blinking when he heard the tone Courtney was using. The two women traded barbs back and forth, as the blond accidentally admitted to getting pregnant on purpose while taunting whoever the other woman was.

"You just wait, you think you are so smart. You haven't met them. They are like leeches. Elizabeth with my ex-husband, she just never seems to get the message that men aren't really interested in her, only in what she can do for them. Then there is Emily... just you wait... she will be there, always be there, always around, like a shadow that won't go away."

"Courtney, want to know the difference between you and I?" asked Siobhan. With a smirk she continued on. "You will lie, cheat, steal and manipulate to get what you want, me, I don't have to do that. I was honest with Nik about my attraction. It's why in the end, we married. Oh and Court... a teenage boy, seriously?"

"It was a one time thing, I was feeling... wait, I don't have to explain myself to you." retorted the blond as she left the hospital glaring at the other woman who embraced Nicolas.

"I was hoping to tell Emily but she is gone for the day." he said frustrated. "She is going to be blindsided and I hate that this is going to hurt her."

"What about going to her parents place?" asked his wife practically.

"No, she doesn't live there. I heard one of the nurses talking, Elizabeth and Robin were making plans for some sort of meeting tonight." he said. Holding his wife's hand as they left, he was explaining who Robin was while Jason went back to his truck.

Calling Jake's, he was told the women weren't there when someone came up behind him. "Morgan, you have a problem."

Glaring at Manny, he was irate when the other man handed him a wallet. Opening it, he swore when he saw it was Max's. "What is going on?"

"The Zacharas took out Alcazar's second in command. This was found near the body on Maple." Jason stiffened then looked at Manny who gave a crazed grin. "Yeah, you need to face things, amigo. Your secret child, the bambino isn't so secret as you might expect."

"How?" asked Jason his skin white. "No, one, I mean, no one knows."

""I know, my family knows. Alcazar doesn't so this was a shot across the bow." said the other man. "Met me at the Overlook."

Driving out to the bridge, Jason's mind was racing, someone somewhere knew what he had been trying to keep quiet for almost two years. How was that possible?

"Explain." he said tersely once they were alone.

"Mike Corbin witnessed you together with Elizabeth. He was drunk at the time, still hasn't put two and two together to get that you are Cameron's father. However he pissed and moaned about it to someone who could do some simple mathematics."

"Who? Who knows?" asked Jason, the answer flooring him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Spencer bitched about it when his son was making plans to marry Miss Webber, said that he wouldn't have put it past you to alter the tests. There are offers out there, for any information about the Spencer family, rumors are someone knows, that someone has DNA proof."

Jason nodded at the other man and left, cursing both Sonny's father and Luke Spencer. He was driving back to the warehouse when he saw the lights on the Haunted Star were lit. Deciding to have a word with Luke, instead he backed down the ramp knowing Tracy was going to explode.

Lulu Spencer was pregnant and Dillon was the father.

The women were gathered on the floor in Lainey and Kelly's apartment, all looking at one another then Elizabeth tossed out. "Jason Morgan and I slept together yesterday."

Maxie was crowing how Georgie owed her a hundred bucks when she heard the rest. "Wait! My dad saw you? EEEWWWWWWww!"

"Are you worried about Ric and Lucky retaliating against Jason?" asked Lainey as she watched Elizabeth's frown.

"Yes, I, we think Lucky is using drugs." she tossed out there.

"Oh, I couldn't do much about my problems, but I did do something about that." said Georgie. "I accessed the list of officers to be drug tested this month, added him to the list. I was still there when Lucky had to pee in a container for the Sergeant."

"Ric is my biggest worry." she admitted. "Lucky screws up everything he does, Ric's plans tend to have deadly consequences and toss a wild card like Sam escaping jail into the mix and I am scared."

"Maybe when the eleven o'clock news comes on, we will hear she was captured." said Kelly. "Regarding Lansing, I thought he was married to Alexis Davis."

"He is but he has been hanging around Elizabeth a lot. He is a slimy toad." snorted Maxie.

"Well we can take a wait and see approach, if I have to, I might have something on him." said Kelly her mind on the Mayor and how he owed her one.

Maxie then told them about being kidnapped and how she had knocked the man out with his own laptop. "What worries me is I don't think he is going to leave me alone."

"No, that is why I went to the station today." said a smug Georgie looking at her sister. "Damien Spinelli will no longer be a threat. He is even as we speak being transported back to the mental hospital where he escaped from in Oakfield Tennessee. Lainey, I was hoping you could call them, talk to his doctors."

"I will give them a call in the morning." she said grimly. "So Robin how did it go with Doctor Feelgood last night?"

"Well I felt fine this morning." she said with a slight blush. "But since he slept on the sofa, it was a rather uninteresting night."

"What?" groaned the women.

"No, no we talked, cleared the air so to speak. We are going out on a date, then we are going to take it slow. Unlike Emily there who moved at lightning speed." she tossed the resident to the lions.

"It wasn't like that. I uh, I mean, I found Steven attractive before but thought he was a bit of a pompous bore. Yet, the last couple of months, between the flowers he sent to Elizabeth, then my guard being down... it just happened." she finished lamely.

"Will it be happening again?" asked Maxie teasing the women next to her.

"It might. We uh, we are taking a step back, going to go the dating route but it will be long distance until he wraps up his assignment in Memphis." she added. "Which might be good, because last night then again this morning. I forgot he was Elizabeth's brother."

Georgie said "He certainly looks a lot better than when I was younger, but then it could just be me maturing. He looks like he works out a bit."

"He does." said Emily with a lustful sigh.

"So, all I want to know, is the good doctor kinky, because he looks a little too good to be true, there has to be something wrong. You know, does he like to tie you up, spanking you, or to blind-"

"Kelly, that is MY BROTHER you are talking about." said Elizabeth turning a bit green then white when she saw Emily's skin turning red. "No, just tell me that-"

Emily laughed then said "No, nothing like that, but... okay... sorry Elizabeth, but I need to talk to someone about this... uh... he likes to watch."

Blinking a bit, Maxie said "Watch what? Other people having sex, that can't be such a big thing, I mean look at all the porno out there."

"No!" said Emily who saw Elizabeth's face and said "When I came, he was watching, it was kind of intimate, if you know what I mean. Like I had no place to hide."

Kelly shivered as she got what the other woman was saying. Emily added "It was erotic, he was staring into my eyes, he wouldn't let me close them, I uh, damn, it was hot."

"Brother, need I remind you, that you are talking about the man who when he was teenager pulled my pigtails? The man who once ate a pie with his hands tied behind his back for charity."

"Speaking of that was he any good at ea-" Kelly found herself on the receiving end of a hard pillow swat. "Hey, inquiring minds want to know?"

"Emily if you answer that I will make Carly Cameron's godmother." she threatened to the amusement of her best friend.

"I won't, don't worry. Kelly if you want that kind of knowledge, you will have to find out first hand and let me remind you. I out weigh you and would have no problems tossing you off the hospital roof if you were to try and find out." she added.

Georgie stood, walked to the window then said "I have something to tell you all but Maxie, Robin and you can't tell dad. He is going to have a cow."

"Georgie, Maxie told me about Johnny." Robin said sympathetically.

"Uh, that's not it." she said uneasily. "Well it is partly, its why I ended up meeting him, and I guess partly why I slept with him last night. I uh, I was looking into how expensive my schooling is going to be if I were to go to Italy my junior year. I found a way to pay for it."

"Unless it involves being a rich man's mistress, robbing banks or selling police secret's to the mob, I don't think dad will care." said Maxie. "I mean, after raising me, I think he is immune to being shocked."

"No rich man's mistress, though I am not ending my relationship with John. I was thinking about it today. I don't know where things are going, but I want to find out. As for robbing banks, that is old school. The bankers are the thieves now a days. And no, I am not giving police secrets to the mob." she said frowning at Maxie.

Then with a deep breath she said "Stan Johnson and I are Sophia le Couer."

There was silence as the women looked at Georgie like she was insane, then Robin said "Who is Sophia le Couer and why are you claiming to be her?"

"Not claiming to be, I am her." she said patiently. "Sophie is a writer."

"You mean like the food critic or a gossip columnist?" asked Maxie.

"No I mean like a three times NY Times best selling author." she bluntly announced as she continued. "It started as a joke, Stan was at the hospital when I was a hurt last year. Carly pissed us off and we had this fantasy idea of how to get revenge... then he sort of accidentally sent it to a publisher. We created Sophie to hide who we are."

"So you write murder mysteries?" asked Emily with quite a bit of interest. "Because if you are looking for ways of killing Carly off, look no further than the women in this room."

Georgie took a deep breath then said "No, I don't write murder mysteries I write romance novels."

"How does that get revenge against Carly?" asked Robin confused while Elizabeth reached for her purse, then pulled out the paperback inside.

Holding it up, she said "Edmond, Edmond and Josephine. I thought that name sounded familiar. You wrote this?"

"Yes and I am so sorry Elizabeth. I probably should have asked you first, but at the time it seemed harmless." she said weakly.

"Ask Elizabeth what?" Robin suddenly looked between the book's rather lurid cover and her friend. "Oh my god... Elizabeth is Josephine."

"Yes." she said quietly. "And Edmond... well... uh... Jason is Edmond."

Elizabeth felt the book slip out of her hand as what Georgie was saying hit her. Then looking between the book on the floor, then the women in the room, then finally at the book again.

"Georgie where did you get the knowledge to write those love scenes?" she snapped at the younger woman. "I mean it was as if they were... oh my god... oh my god... who else knows? Wait, why am I so worried? You did write a book of fiction, right?"

The other ladies watched as Elizabeth had a mental meltdown as she paced back and forth in front of them as she unknowingly confessed to having placed Jason and her in the leads as she had read the book. When she whirled and stared Georgie braced to be slapped.

"Wait, Georgie, if we were the leads, I mean.. I don't get how this would upset Carly... well other than the obvious bit of her obsession with Jason."

Georgie looked at Elizabeth and said "The trailer trash social climbing ex hooker, well that was based on Carly and Sam."

Suddenly laughing the nurse said "Oh my god, Georgie! That is too funny. But wait, why would you write the baby as Edmond's? Wouldn't it be more angst for him not to be?"

Blinking, then looking at the other women and deciding that it was time to talk privately said "Can we talk about this just as the two of us?"

"Sure, but what is the big deal?" asked Elizabeth confused. "Why are you so serious?"

"Georgie, what is going on?" asked Emily frowning a bit. Then seeing the fear in her eyes, said with a slightly amused tone. "It's like you think Jason is Cam's father."

"Isn't he?" she asked Elizabeth quietly. "I have seen Zander's medical file, I know he couldn't have kids, I know that Ric isn't the father from when you had Cam tests regarding Alexis' daughter."

"Georgie, until the other night, Jason and I hadn't slept together." she said quietly. "Trust me, I wouldn't forget sleeping with him."

The younger girl looked at her in shock then said "Wait, you don't remember sleeping with Jason in one of the rooms over the diner? Back when Emily was sick?"

"No, Georgie, you are wrong. You have to be." insisted Elizabeth. "And even if I forgot, though I have no idea how, Jason wouldn't have."

"Elizabeth, I almost walked in on the two of you." she said "I left quickly when I realized what was going on. I just thought that... all this time... all this time I thought you two were keeping it quiet for some reason."

"No, Georgie, Cam is Zander's son." she said.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Look, between the photos that show him looking like Mr. Doctor Quartermaine and the records, plus knowing you slept together I really think something is off."

"Georgie, while I wish it were true, there is no way my brother wouldn't remember." said Emily confidently "and one thing I know for sure. My brother would have been ecstatic to find Elizabeth was pregnant with his child, it would have given him the chance to walk away from the mess his life was."

"She's right Georgie." said Robin. "With weeks of returning home, no matter the words he was saying, Jason's eyes have always followed Elizabeth. He would have jumped at the chance to have his dream family with her."

Lainey saw the sureness in Georgie's eyes and the equally positive reactions in the other woman's eyes. "I have an idea. Why don't we ruin a DNA test? We can just keep it between the six of us, because I doubt Georgie pulled this idea out of thin air."

"Fine, I will ask Jason for a sample." said Emily.

"No, we do this quietly." said Elizabeth wincing. "I don't want to bother him with this, I mean I would feel foolish when I know we didn't sleep together, I have no idea who Georgie heard."

"Georgie, what about Johnny Zachara, shouldn't we be dealing with that problem" asked Elizabeth trying to turn the attention away from her life.

"John and I need to talk." she said firmly. "Then I will try and figure this out."

The uneasy sextet broke up, Elizabeth returning to her apartment with Lainey who after Steven had left took the little boy's hairbrush while Emily went to Jason's penthouse. Being told he wasn't there by Stan, she asked to use his bathroom.

Grabbing his toothbrush and putting out a new one, glad he was predicable and always bought blue ones, she hurried to met her friend at the hospital.

Kelly took the two samples down, then said "I had them put a rush on it. We should know the results tomorrow."

"Good, hopefully it will ease Georgie's mind, because we all know there is no way my brother would walk away from a life with Elizabeth." she said assuredly.

Up at Vista Point, Georgie was getting out of her car and hugging John while the woman with the binoculars was watching, her mouth twisted in agony as her brother embraced the young woman.

Calling Trevor she asked "Has it been dealt with?"

"It's done." he said then went to call on his mistress. Kate let him in and offered him a glass of wine while he timed it. Within the hour, the news was running live feed from Port Charles discussing how escaped prisoner Sam McCall was wanted for the shooting of DA Ric Lansing, son of esteemed New York City lawyer Trevor.

TBC


End file.
